The One
by karsten557
Summary: What if Ash was more independent than he was in the anime and traveled through Kanto alone without the company of Misty or Brock. This is my take on how Ash's journey should have been. A journey where Ash will catch a lot more Pokémon and train harder to achieve his goal of becoming a Pokémon master. A story where being 'The Chosen One' isn't just some meaningless title.
1. Chapter 1: How To Save A Life

**Yeahh! First chapter of my first fanfiction is complete. I have always wanted a write a fanfic and finally pulled myself together and done something about it. I would like to apologize in advance for any Grammatik mistakes I have made. English is only my second language and even though I feel like I have a great understanding of the foreign language, I am not delusionary enough to think that my writing is perfect. But... I am confident in my abilities, and hope this little project of mine can help me improve my writing. So any kind of critic I welcome with open arms :)**

**Now enough about that. I am writing a Pokémon fanfiction and I can already promise a few things that will happen. **

**1\. Ash will be more mature than in canon.**

**2\. Ash will be catching lots of different kinds of Pokémon.**

**3\. He will also spend more time training all of his Pokémon, improving their abilities and keeping them in shape and fit for battle.**

**4\. Ash will have a much closer relationship to the legendary Pokémon due to his status as The Chosen One. (Maybe even catch a few?)**

**5\. Misty &amp; Brock will not be traveling with Ash at the beginning of the story. Ash is more independent and doesn't need for Misty and Brock to hold his hand the whole journey. Maybe...and only maybe, I will have Brock join him at some point later on. But if you are looking for a fic with a lot of Misty, you have come to the wrong place. Misty will only make a few appearances in this story (If at all). I have always hated that b**ch!**

**I hope you enjoy. And please feel free to drop a review if you like.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: How to save a life.**

It was another beautiful summer day in Pallet Town. The sun shined brightly and not a single cloud was to be found on the clear blue sky. A boy at the age of 9 was out and enjoying the nice weather by taking a stroll through the forest near Pallet Town. The boy had black hair which was mostly covered by his favorite red and white cap. He wore black jeans and a pair of white shoes on his feet. On his upper body was an unzipped red jacket and a white t-shirt underneath. Ash was the name of the young boy and he was out exploring the forest which was located right next to his home in Pallet Town. His mother wasn't that happy about Ash's small expeditions into the forest, because should a wild Pokémon decide to attack him, he would be completely defenseless since Ash didn't have a Pokémon of his own to protect him. But she was okay with it if he just stayed close to their house and didn't venture too deep into the forest. Ash was okay with that, his mother was just looking out for him and anyway, he didn't have go far at all if he wanted to see Pokémon. The forest was literally crawling with them.

Ash has always been incredibly fascinated by Pokémon. Ever since four years ago when his mother had taken him over to Professor Oak's lab for his 5th birthday. He had spent the whole day at the ranch playing with the Pokémon that lived there. Ash had gotten to play with a pair of Nidoran's both a female and a male, a Pidgey who was a little hesitating at first but quickly warmed up to Ash after he had given it some Pokémon food he had in his pocket, and a very playful and affectionate Eevee who was really enjoying having a human around to scratch it behind the ears. Ash had spent most of the day with the four Pokémon playing games like tag, and hide and seek. It was everything the young Ash could have ever had hope for, he had really enjoyed his first day at Oak's ranch very much and ever since that day he had been visiting Oak's lab at every opportunity he could. Ash couldn't get enough of Pokémon, it was his life. And some day he wanted to become the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world.

Ash walked slowly through the forest, his was eyes shining with excitement at the prospect of maybe seeing some new Pokémon he hadn't seen before. He had already seen a few Weedle's and some Caterpie's moving along the forest floor going on about their daily life's. Most of the Pokémon in the forest had grown used to his presence among them because of the numerous times he had visited over the years.

"I can't wait until I get my Pokémon license" Ash whispered to himself. "Just three more months and I can get my starter and begin my Pokémon journey" A smile graced his face as thoughts about travel the world and catching all different kinds of Pokémon entered his mind.

After a few minutes of walking Ash was startled out of his blissful thoughts when the sound of a high pitched cry reached his ears. Ash immediately stopped walking and started looking around trying to figure out where the sound had come from. It had sounded like a Pokémon but Ash couldn't be sure, he had been so deep in thoughts about which starter he should choose that he had barely noticed it. The cry came once again and Ash quickly turned around and started walking towards it at a fast pace. Ash pushed himself through the trees moving branches and bushes. The sounds started to grow louder and louder as Ash was coming up to a small clearing. Making sure to stay well hidden behind some bushes he took a quick peak from his hiding spot to observe the situation.

A tiny yellow mouse like Pokémon was in a heated battle with a big grey Pokémon which greatly resembled a rhino. The battle didn't seem to go so well for the smaller Pokémon who was hit with a Tackle attack and fell to the ground. Ash recognized them instantly.

_'A Pichu and a Rhyhorn. I have to do something, Pichu doesn't stand a chance against a Rhyhorn._' Ash knew that an electric type Pokémon like Pichu couldn't possibly defeat a powerful rock type Pokémon such as Rhyhorn. Pichu is only in its baby stage of the electric mouse evolution line and wasn't particular strong, especially when dealing with a much bigger and stronger opponent such as Rhyhorn, who was already had a heavy advantage over Pichu because of type difference. Ash could only watch with a heavy heart as the Pichu continued to dodge the incoming attacks of the rhinoceros like Pokémon, while trying it's luck a few times with a Thundershok attack. But every effort made was futile as the lightning bolts did little to no damage against Rhyhorn's thick hide, it only made it angrier.

'Wow that Pichu is really strong... and fast too.' Ash thought as he looked at the Pichu in awe as it continued to skillfully dodge all incoming attack from the grey rhino with superior speed. _'And it can use Thunderbolt! That's a surprise. Normally Pichu's are too young and not skilled enough to store electric power in its body. But this one seems to have no trouble doing it at all. Sure it wasn't particular strong electric attacks, but still for a Pichu to be able to do it at all was quite a feat'_

Rhyhorn charged at the tiny mouse once again and Pichu was hit once more by a Tackle and hit the ground hard, just narrowly dodging an incoming Horn Attack by rolling quickly to the side. The Pichu was quickly back on its feet, panting heavily.

_'That Pichu is badly hurt and exhausted from the fighting and won't last much longer. I have to do something or else Pichu can end up seriously injured.' _It was a time like this Ash wished he had his own Pokémon so that he could fend off the Rhyhorn, but that was unfortunately only wishful thinking.

_'What am I going to do? I don't stand a better chance against Rhyhorn than Pichu does'_ Ash gulped from just imagining the kind of damage the big rhinoceros Pokémon could inflict upon him.

The young boy tried franticly to come up with a plan to help the Pichu, but every scenario he drew up in his mind would only end badly for the 9 year old. _'Attacking the Rhyhorn head-on would be a big mistake. Maybe with a bit of luck I can distract it somehow, and with its attention turned elsewhere I can rush in and grab Pichu.' _Ash knew that it was a long shot, but he couldn't just stand here and do nothing while Pichu was fighting for its life. Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. He didn't know much about this species of Pokémon, but one thing Ash did know was that it was very fast compared to himself and chances of him outrunning it should it give chase, where very slim. _'Okay... maybe a lot of luck'_

Ash started searching around the forest floor for anything he could use to draw its attention, while making sure to keep himself hidden from the view of the two Pokémon by dropping down to one knee.

_'Bingo!' _Ash whispered to himself as he found to well sized rocks and picked them up in his hand. He crept alongside some bushes until he got closer to the battle. Ash slowing rose from the forest floor and hid himself behind a big tree at the edge of the clearing.

"Pii!" a loud yell of pain sounded from the battlefield and Ash sneaked a peak from his position behind the tree. Pichu was laying on the ground with only one of its eyes opened and close to losing consciousness, and Rhyhorn was only a few meters away from the downed Pokémon preparing to launch the final attack.

Ash decided it was now or never and threw one of the rocks high into the air toward the Rhyhorn. The rock traveled through the air at a high speed and hit a tree behind the big Pokémon resulting in a loud noise. Rhyhorn was startled by the interruption and gazed behind him trying to find the source but found none and quickly deemed it unimportant and turned its head back toward the Pichu who was still laying unmoving on the ground.

"Damn" Ash swore quietly, seeing the little effect it had. He decided to give it another shot and threw his last rock in the same fashion as before and quickly sought cover behind the tree again. This time however the Rhyhorn seemed a little threatened by the unidentified noise and figured that the Pichu wouldn't be running anywhere, so the big rock Pokémon turned it's whole body around and started moving towards where the sound had emerged from with cautionary steps until it disappeared behind some trees.

Ash nearly jumped in joy at his plan turning into success but stopped himself. There was more pressing matters that he needed to attend to. Celebration could wait for later when Pichu was safe and sound. Ash abandoned his hiding place behind the tree and quickly ran towards the injured Pokémon.

Pichu immediately noticed the human coming towards him. He panicked and tried to rise from its position on the grass but it's body wouldn't let him. Scared out of its mind since it had never been particular trusting towards humans. Pichu tried a last resort by firing a Thundershock attack towards the boy, but again failed as it was too weakened after it's fight with the Rhyhorn so only a few small sparks of electricity emerged from its red cheeks. It could only lay there defenseless and watch as the human boy came closer and closer.

"Don't worry Pichu, I'm not going to hurt you." Ash said in a calm voice and with a gentle smile upon his face. He bended down on one knee and scooped Pichu up in his arms, taking great care not to course it more pain. "My name is Ash Ketchum and I will take care of you. I promise I will get you back to health in no time"

Pichu was in a really bad state but managed to let out a small whimper in response. He looked the human boy deep into his brown eyes with a look of confusion on its face. Pichu was very puzzled to why this unknown boy would try to help him. He had always been told by its mother that all humans was dangerous and that they should be avoided at all cost. Pichu had been in a few encounters with humans before in the past, but had always succeeded in escaping them due to its great speed. All those humans only wanted to rip it from its family and capture it in one those scary balls they carried around. But this human boy in front of him was ...different. Pichu actually felt a sense of security laying in his arms which confused it greatly. Somehow he just knew that he could trust this young human boy. Not that it had much choice in the matter.

Ash looked at the small electric mouse in his arms and saw it close its eyes and fall asleep with its head resting against his chest. Ash quickly started to run back towards Pallet Town. He ran through the forest as fast as his legs could carry him, dodging various tree branches and bushes that got in his path.

Ash was panting heavily since he wasn't used to running so fast for such a long period of time, but he couldn't afford to stop for anything. The life of the Pokémon in his arms was literally in his hands, and Ash was determinate to do everything in his power to save it.

* * *

Ash was about halfway through the forest when he heard a loud sound echoing in the trees of something big and heavy running in the distance. He stopped for a second and turned around to see what was going on, when his face suddenly took a look fear as he saw the Rhyhorn from earlier making its way towards him at a furious pace knocking down trees and everything else that got in its way.

_'Damn... and here I was hoping that Rhyhorn was too lazy to track me down' _Ash cursed his bad luck and wasted no time trying to gain as much distance between himself and the raging rock Pokémon.

Ash kept running as fast as humanly possible through the forest, while holding the still passed out Pichu securely in his arms. Ash kept running, jumping over a few bushes here and there and trying his best to dodge the leaves of the trees that got in his path. Ash could hear the furious rock Pokémon behind him getting closer and the closer, it was gaining on him very fast and Ash knew that it would take a miracle to get out of his current predicament.

_'YES! almost there' _Ash could see what looked to be the edge of the forest up ahead. Ash rushed past the last remaining tress, but to his great surprise, the only thing that that met him at the other side was a dead end. Ash tried to stop but he only had a few meters to work and was unable stop in time before tumbling over the edge of the cliff.

* * *

The Rhyhorn bust through the trees with a menacing growl and entered the space where Ash and Pichu had been only seconds ago. It looked around trying to find them with its head moving quickly from side to side. It's anger soon turned into confusion when it was unable to find the humanboy and the small rodent anywhere. Rhyhorn let out an angry roar and stomped the ground a few time in frustration.

"Rhyy!" A roar sounded yet again from the furious rock Pokémon, and after a few moments it calming down and finally gave up on the hunt and slowly returned back to the forest from where it came.

* * *

Ash was hanging with his left arm suspended over his head, and with his hand holding tightly around a thick branch. With an incredibly stroke of luck Ash had been able to grab on to a branch of a tree root that was sticking out of the mountain side. Ash held on to the branch with his dear life, not believing how close he and Pichu had been to failing to their deaths. He took a few shaky breathes and tried to calm his rapid beating heart there was beating _a mile a minute_.

Ash moved his head downwards and stared at his stretched right arm that was holding an very awake and slightly panicking Pichu by its tail. Pichu had awoken during the fall and Ash had only just been able to grab it by the tail when it had slipped out of his arms.

"Calm down Pichu, I can't hold on if you keep moving." Ash yelled to the small Pokémon who was crying and waving it's small arms like crazy. "I won't let you go... I promise. Just please trust me and do everything I tell you, and I promise we will get us out of this."

Pichu calmed down slightly and let out a small "Pichuu!" in agreement with a fearful expression upon its face. Ash's mouth twisted up in a relieved smile, happy that he was able to make the electric mouse relax somewhat despite the current situation.

"Okay Pichu, now I am going to lift you up to my right shoulder. Just try to grab on to it and attach yourself when you can. But you have to keep completely still, okay?" Ash yelled and the Pichu gave a small nod in understanding. Ash slowly started to lift Pichu up by its tail until they were on eye level. The plan went without a hitch and Pichu settled itself nicely on Ash's shoulder. Ash now with his right arm started climbing up the hill side with Pichu securely clinging to his shoulder.

It took some time but finally Ash and Pichu made it to the top. Ash crawled slowly over the edge of the cliff and rolled on to his back and looked up at the sky panting exhaustedly.

"That was a little too close for comfort." Ash murmured from his position on the grass with Pichu laying on his stomach equally out of breathe. He broke his gaze from the sky and turned his head toward the small mouse that was resting on top of him.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a low voice full of concern.

Pichu opened its eyes and stared at the human who had not only once, but twice saved his life. He was simply dumbfounded by the actions of the boy and didn't know what to think of this whole mess. It just gave a tiny nod in response.

Ash wrapped his arms around the rodent Pokémon and got up on his feet. The forest was oddly quiet and there was no sign of the Rhyhorn that had pursuit them earlier. _'It properly thinks we are dead. For a moment there even I thought we were done for too.' _He looked towards the horizon and saw the sun still high in the air, casting a beautiful grow all around the landscape.

A loud shrieking noise sounded from somewhere in the clouds. Ash turned his head to sky and his eyes widened beyond belief when he saw a phoenix like Pokémon flying gracefully across the sky, with a beautiful golden glow as it left a rainbow behind it.

"Ho-oh" Ash breathed out as he stood there rooted to ground and watched the legendary Pokémon in awe. He continued to watch the majestic fire-type Pokémon as it soared through the sky until it disappeared again behind some clouds away from view.

Ash didn't know how long he just stood there staring at the sky, he could hardly believe what had just seen. Never in his wildest dreams thought that he would see a legendary Pokémon, and stood there looking up at the sky in awe to where Ho-oh had been seconds ago.

"Pokémon are Awesome!" He exclaimed loudly with a large smile on his face. He starred down at the Pichu in his arms wondering when it would wake up. He thought about if he should try and wake the small Pokémon up, but he decided against it and instead started walking towards the forest. He was really starting to feel tired from all the running and life threatening saturations. He didn't even know how long he had been out here in the forest and couldn't wait to get home to Pallet Town.


	2. Chapter 2: Choosing a Starter

**Thank you very much for reading my story and for the reviews. This was a hard chapter to write and it took a little longer to complete than expected, so I apologize for the delay. I know the story has been a little slow paced in term of events, but it will speed up in later chapters. **

**But now onto a whole other matter. I have decided to create a Poll on my profile to give you, my readers a chance to influence certain events in my story. Every Poll will be open for ca. 2-3 chapters, until the option with the most votes will be selected as the winner. The Polls can be anything from: ****Ash having to take a major decision, a twist of some kind that alters the plot slightly, choosing a specific Pokémon he will get in the future...etc. So If you're interested just visit my profile a give a vote. The first Poll will be the decision between which Pokémon are to join Ash on his journey. I want a Pokémon to accompany Ash that he can talk to through telepathy, and once the results of the Polls are made, I will stage an event of some kind where Ash will catch the winner Pokémon. I hope that is something you guys want to participate in :)**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Choosing a Starter**

Ash was finally out of the forest. He had been walking for nearly an hour with the still asleep Pichu in his arms, snuggled closely into his chest. His face lit up with a relieved smile when he passed the last couple of trees and Pallet Town came into view.

The sun was still shining as brightly as ever and cast a brilliant glow at the small town underneath it. Ash stopped in his tracks for a second to enjoy the beautiful sight. Normally he wouldn't have given it any thought at all, it wasn't something he hadn't seen a million times before. But after his little escapade in the forest, he couldn't help the strong feeling of happiness at the view in front of him.

"We made it!" Ash said to himself and looked down at the tiny baby Pokémon.

Ash received a lot of stares from the people he met on the street. He couldn't stop a small chuckle from escaping his lips at their baffled expressions. He could only imagine how he must look after everything that he went through in the forest. Running for your life from an enraged Rhyhorn was bound to mess up anyone's appearance.

Ash walked up to the front steps to his home and went inside and closed the door behind him. He could hear his mother cooking in the kitchen preparing dinner.

"Mom, I'm home!" he called to his mother in the next room. He heard some rustling from the kitchen and only in a matter of seconds his mother came running into the small entrance hall.

"Ash!" Delia Ketchum gasped in surprise when she saw the condition her son was in. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself from the shook and continued speaking when she found her voice "Ash...what happened to your clothes? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine mom. It's just some minor scrapes. Nothing to worry about" Ash said trying to ease his mother's mind.

"Are you sure? Your clothes are all torn up and you are sweating like you have been in a wrestling match with a Charizard."

"...definitely no Charizard, I promise." Ash muttered quietly to himself.

"Okay Ash, but where were you? You have been gone for nearly 4 hours. Have you any idea how worried you made me." Delia exclaimed angrily.

"I'm really sorry mom. I lost track of time in the woods."

"Ash you know I don't like you going into forest alone. We have talked about this. It's filled with dangerous Pokémon and you don't have one of your own to protect you, should they feel threatened and decide to attack you. You could end up seriously hu..." Ash's mom stopped midsentence when a small yawn sounded in the small hallway. "Ash, was that a Pokémon just now?"

Ash's eyes traveled down to the small rodent in his arms. The Pichu was rubbing it eyes and started to wake up. It slowly opened up its eyes and blinked a few times. Pichu's eyes suddenly widened and he started to trash around in Ash's arms, trying to get free.

"Pichu, what are you doing? Take it easy, no one is going to hurt you" Ash tried to calm down the panicking Pokémon but it didn't seem to hear him and started to cry.

_'This isn't working' _Ash thought and decided try a different approach. He raised the Pichu up and rested it against his shoulder while slowly stroking its yellow fur on its back.

"Don't worry Pichu, you are safe now. Don't be afraid." He whispered in a calm voice into its ear. He continued cuddling the baby Pokémon and after a few minutes, it began to quiet down.

"Ash, how did you get that Pokémon?" His mother asked after a moment of silence.

"I found him in the woods heavily damaged and close to death. I saved his life and took him back here." Ash answered, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to tell his mom about the Rhyhorn and nearly falling off a cliff. She was already worried enough as it is and he didn't see a reason to distress her even further. _'She would properly have a heart attack if she knew how close I came to dying today' _

"I'm so proud of you Ash. You are growing up to be such a responsible young man." Delia beamed at her son. "If just your father could see you now. He would be so proud too" She finished with a sad smile on her face.

"Yeah..." Ash murmured quietly.

A heavy silence filled the room at the mention of Ash's dad. They rarely talked about Ash's dad. He had been away for years now. He just up and disappeared one day when Ash was only 2 years old, never too be seen again. Ash barely remembered him since it was such a long time ago.

"But how come Pichu's not with its family? Pikachu's are usually very protective of their young ones" Delia said, changing the subject.

"I don't know. Maybe it got separated from its mother before it was attacked" Ash brought Pichu down from his shoulder and laid it in his arms at chest level. Pichu snuggled closely into Ash.

"Poor little thing, all alone in the woods" Delia said with a sad tone in her voice.

"I plan to visit Professor Oak tomorrow and ask for his help to locate Pichu's family."

"That sounds like a good idea. If anyone can help it would be Professor Oak."

"Well, maybe I should head upstairs and get Pichu settled in." Ash said.

"And while you are up there you should take a bath. You smell worse than a Muk" Delia replied smiling at her own joke.

"Yeah... won't argue with you on that one" Ash laughed as he started heading upstairs to his room along with the small electric mouse in his arms.

* * *

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Ash entered his room and found a hyperactive Pichu running all around his room from one thing to another inspecting Ash's belongings closely.

Pichu looking around the room curiously, having never before seen the inside of a human house before. He ran over to Ash's bed in the corner of the room and crawled on top of it. The small mouse Pokémon felt the soft material under its feet, it was much softer than the forest grass he usually slept on. Pichu felt the his body sink into the madras beneath him.

"Pichuu!" The rodent said happily and started jumping up and down on the bed.

"I'm glad to see that you like my room, Pichu." Ash said with a small laugh as he approached his bed, and sat down next to Pichu. Ash didn't say anything for a moment and just watched the antic of the Pokémon with a smile.

"Pichu, can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked in a serious tone after a while.

Pichu stopped hopping and sat down, and watched Ash in confusing. He tilted his head slightly and gave Ash his full attention.

"I just need to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer them as good as you can, understand?"

"Pii!" Pichu nodded its head in agreement.

"I know that you are not used to being around humans, but I was wondering if you wanted to stay here for a while?" Ash asked hopefully. "It is nothing permanent...it is just until I have found a way to get you back get you back to your parents and I figured it would be much safer for you to stau here than going back into the forest all by yourself. okay?"

The Pichu grew sad at the mention of its parents but nodded its head. It had no interest in going back to the forest, especially just after the run in with the Rhyhorn. The episode had left it more than a little scared.

"So, will you stay?" Ash asked again.

"Pichuu!" Pichu said happily as it jumped up on Ash's lap and hugged him tightly with its small arms.

Ash wrapped his arms around the tiny baby Pokémon and held it close into his chest. "I give you my word Pichu. I will do everything in my power to reunite you with your family. That is a promise." He said and scratched Pichu behind its ear.

"Chuuu" It cooed softly in enjoyment.

* * *

It was a little past midnight, but Ash couldn't sleep. He was way too excited. Tomorrow he would finally begin his Pokémon journey and he could hardly wait. He laid in his bed, just starred into nothingness and thought about the last three months. It sure had been interesting living with Pichu. He and the tiny electric-type had gotten really close over the time they had spent together. They had played together every day and their bond was as strong as ever.

Ash was a little sadden that Pichu wasn't his Pokémon. He had visited Professor Oak a few days after Pichu moved in to ask for his help in locating Pichu's family. After explaining the situation to Professor Oak, the professor had told him that the best chance to locate the Pikachu colony would be to search Viridian forest. Ash had thanked the professor for his help and decided to take Pichu with him on his journey until they reached the forest.

When he thought back, he still could not believe that he had seen the legendary Pokémon Ho-oh that day.

However, Ash just had to glance at the tiny mouse Pokémon whose life he had saved to know that it was indeed real. When Ash thought about it, he still could not understand why a Pokémon such as Ho-oh would show itself to him. Sure he may have showed great courage and selflessness in saving Pichu's life, but this great avian was known for only showing itself to people who was of a pure heart, and only a few people had ever as much as caught so much as a glimpse of it.

_'So why would it reveal itself to me? _Ash thought back on the day two month ago, when he had tried to talk to Professor Oak about it.

But the Professor had been very skeptic and dismissed the possibility instantly, stating that the legendary Pokémon hadn't been spotted for nearly a hundred years and that it was simply impossible that Ash could have seen it. Ash gave up trying to convince Professor Oak, since he did not have any proof of the encounter so he had simply dropped the topic. Instead of trying to convince Professor Oak, he just looked forward to the next time he would stand before the majestic creature.

* * *

Ash awoke early the next morning well rested and ready to face the day ahead. He was lying on his bed with Pichu sound asleep on his stomach. A big smile lit up on his face and he thought to himself in excitement.

_'Today I finally begin my Pokémon journey and will be taking my first steps towards becoming a pokémon master. I am going to travel the entire Kanto region fighting Pokémon trainers and catching all different kinds of Pokémon. I will slowly gradually be working my way towards Indigo Plateau, challenging Gym Leaders and collecting badges for the big tournament in 10 months. It's going to be so awesome!' _

Ash scratched Pichu behind his ears, making the tiny electric mouse purr in enjoymentand lean in towards his touch in its sleep. "Good morning Pichu. Ready to start our journey?" He asked his friend with a voice full of anticipation for the upcoming day. The Pokémon slowly opened up its eyes and looked at his friend.

"Pichuu!" The rodent nodded its head and started jumping up and down in excitement.

"Good to hear buddy." Ash said and petted its head and started to get up and get dressed. He pulled on his black jeans and a white t-shirt, got in his white shoes and put on his red jacket. He picked up Pichu and positioned him on his usually spot on his shoulder.

"Let go get some breakfast" Ash said to his companion and went downstairs.

When Ash entered the kitchen, he was instantly assaulted by the wonderful smell of the breakfast that lined the table. In the dining table, there are pancakes, syrups and hot chocolate.

"Good morning Ash" Delia greeted cheerfully.

"Morning mom!" Ash said as he joined her at the dining table and started filling his plate with food. Pichu had jumped off his shoulder started eating as well.

"So Ash, ready to start your journey?" Delia asked with a smile.

"You bet! I can't wait to get my starter and begin traveling the region"

"Just be careful honey, I don't want you to end up getting hurt. Promise me that you will look after yourself" Delia said concerned.

"Don't worry mom, I'll be careful. I promise."

"Good." Delia said with a smile before questioning. "When do you have to be at Professor Oaks's Lab?"

"We have to be there at 10 o'clock. So there's still half an hour," Ash answered.

"Honey I've been thinking," Delia looked thoughtful and paused for a second. "What are you going to do about Pichu?"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked quizzed.

"I mean, are you going to capture Pichu and make it part of your team? Or are you going to release it back into the wild?"

Pichu lifted his head from the bowl he was eating from and looked towards his friend, interested in his answer.

"I'm not really sure...we have really grown close in the time he has stayed here with me and I would love to keep him but, he has his own family somewhere in Viridian Forest and I wont take that away from him. So I have decided to take Pichu with me on my journey and head towards Viridian forest. Professor Oak said that there is a good possibility that the electric mouse family lives somewhere in the forest and hopefully, we will be able to find them" Ash confessed and took a big zip from his hot chocolate.

Unnoticed by Ash, Pichu got a sad expression on his face. Pichu have really been enjoying living with Ash and his mother the last three months. He felt a little conflicted since he missed his mother and the rest of the family very much, but he also did not want to part ways with Ash, especially when he has taken such good care of him. Delia noticed Pichu's somber mood and gave a smile. "Well, there's a long way to Viridian forest and a lot can happen until then. Who knows, maybe Pichu will decide to stick around"

"Yes, that would be great. But that is his choice to make weather he wants to stay with me or rejoin his family. If Pichu should wish to stay with his family I'm not going to stand in his way" Ash said while finishing off the last pancake and rose from the table. "Anyways, thanks for breakfast mom. I'll see you later"

"You're welcome Ash. I can't wait to see which starter you're going to pick" Delia said and started fixing the dishes.

"Are you ready Pichu?"Ash turned to Pichu who was sniffing curiously to a ketchup bottle he had found near the edge of the table. The Pokémon wasted no time unscrewing the cap and greedily started devouring the delicious substance, getting ketchup smeared all over its face in the process.

Ash groaned at the scene and started to chuckle at the small rodent. _'No way I'm getting his attention now. That Pokémon sure love his ketchup. I'll just pick him up after I have gotten my starter'_

"Guess I will just see you when I get back" Ash said, heading out the door and towards Professor Oaks Lab.

* * *

**At Professor Oak's Lab**

Ash looked around the empty lab. _'Seems like I'm the first to arrive. But where is Professor Oak?' _Ash thought looking around the lab not seeing the good professor anywhere.

"Professor! I'm here to get my first Pokémon" Ash shouted, hoping Professor Oaks would hear him.

"Oh Ash my boy I'm in here" Sounded the voice of Professor Oak as he emerged from downstairs and entered his laboratory.

"Good morning Ash. Good to see you're on time" Professor Oak said with a smile and went over to a machine that housed 3 Pokéballs, and began readying the starters. "So Ash, ready to start your Pokémon Journey?"

"Yeah, I've been waiting for this day my whole life" Ash nodded enthusiastically, eager to start his journey.

"That's good Ash. The starters are very anxious to meet you and the others. Gary and Annieshould be here any minute and then we can get started" Professor Oak said and turned back to his work.

"Well if it isn't Ashy-boy," a cocky voice said sounded from the other side of the room.

Ash turned around and came face to face with Gary, his rival. They had once been best friends, but all of a sudden Gary changed. He grew arrogant and he started picking on Ash when they were in school. He was constantly trying to rub it in his face that he knew more about Pokémon than Ash and how he was the best. _'Okay, he may be the most knowledgably student in the class, but that is only because he is Professor Oak's grandson and the Professor know almost everything there is to know about Pokémon. However, I am a close second and I don't go around and act as if I'm king of the whole world. That Gary really needs to be taken down a peg or two'_

"Hello Gary" Ash responded.

"I must admit that I'm surprised Ashy-boy. I had almost expected that you would sleep over and turn up late wearing your pajamas" Gary taunted and let out a laugh oozed with arrogance.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you then" Ash said calmly.

"But what surprises me the most is that you even here at all. You know you cannot compete with me, so why even bother. There is no way a loser like you will ever reach the Indigo Plateau" Gary finished smugly.

"We'll just have to see about that, won't we," Ash said with a glare.

Gary opened his mouth and was about to say more, when he was interrupted by a sound from door.

"Great to see _Mr. High and Mighty_ grace us with his presence. Just what I needed" A girl said in a sarcastic voice before closing the door behind her and walked over to join Ash and Gary.

Gary glared angrily at the girl and gave a huff, but remained silent.

"Good Morning Ash. How are you?" Annie asked with a radiant smile that seemed to light up the whole room. Annie was a girl with long straight black hair that reached down just below her shoulders. She had a pale beautiful face and big blue eyes that shined with excitement. She was dressed in white jeans and a light green top. In addition, on her feet she wore black shoes with white shoelaces.

"Morning Annie. I'm great, how about you?" Ash replied with a smile in return.

"Oh I'm so excited, I can´t believe the day has finally come. It's going to be so amazing travelling all of Kanto and catching Pokémon, I can't wait to get my starter and get going. I really hope that I get Bulbasaur...he's my favorite" Annie finished her long rant with a dreamy smile upon her face.

Ash gave a gave a small laugh. It was no secret how much Annie adored Bulbasaur and its evolutionary line. She has always wanted to have a Bulbasaur. Ever since Annie and her parents moved to Pallet Town 4 years ago, she and Ash have been good friends. They would often visit each other's houses to play, talk, and simply hangout. The time they have spent together over the years have slowly developed into a close friendship.

Ash and Annie continued to talk for a few minutes, while Gary stood a few meter away ignoring them. They were interrupted when Professor Oak came over and greeted them all.

"Good morning trainers. I hope you are all ready for the journey ahead of you. It will require hard work and dedication if you want to succeed as a Pokémon trainer. It takes a lot of training and skill to train a Pokémon up to its full potential and the bonds you will make on this journey will be more important than anything will. But knowing you three I'm sure that you will all make Pallet Town proud, of that I'm sure" Professor Oak said to the three soon to be trainers in front of him.

_'This is it. The moment has finally arrived where I get to choose my starter. I hope I get Squirtle, a water-type will definitely give me a great advantage in my first Gym match.' _Ash thought. He was standing in between the two others trainers, with Gary on his left side and Annie on his right.

"So without any further delay, let's get started. Let me introduce you to the Kanto starters you can pick from." Professor Oak reached out and picked up one of the three Poké Balls and expanded it into full-size.

"You have three Pokémon to choose from" Professor Oak began saying as he released the Pokémon. "First there is Squirtle, a water-type Pokémon, he is a male" out came what looked like a turtle standing on two stubby legs, with blue skin, a red shell, stubby arms, a round head with big eyes and a curly blue tail.

"Squirtle!" shouted a confident looking Squirtle.

"Next is Charmander, a fire-type Pokémon, and he is also a male" out came a dinosaur like Pokémon with red skin standing on its two back legs and a long tail the end of which was on fire.

"Char, charmander!" shouted the young Pokémon happily looking forward to meeting his new trainer.

"And of cause last but not least Bulbasaur, a grass-type Pokémon, she is a female" out came a spotted blue-green dinosaur like Pokémon with a bulb on its back, it had red eyes it was a rather timid looking Pokémon.

"Bulba" mumbled Bulbasaur shyly, she looked very nervous.

Ash was about to open his mouth when Gary spoke up "I already know who I'm going to pick" Gary walked up and pointed at Squirtle.

Squirtle cheered and jumped around happily while the two other Pokémon looked downcast. Ash frowned and gave Gary a glare that could melt ice. _'That royal jackass. Of cause he takes the Pokémon I wanted'_ he thought angrily.

Professor Oak returned Squirtle to his Poké ball before giving the ball to Gary along with 5 empty Poké balls and a Pokédex.

Gary smiled at his new Pokémon before smirking at Ash. "See you around Ashy-boy!" he said and walked off laughing.

Ash growled but forced himself to calm down, he didn't want to retaliate and course a scene. He redirected his eyes to the two remaining Pokémon and thought to himself. _'Okay this changes things. Who am I going to pick now? Charmander will be great Pokémon, it looks eager for battle and could get very strong with the right training. Plus, it's a fire-type which will be a great addition for the team, and will make the walk through Viridian forest a piece of cake due to its advantage against bug-type Pokémon. Then there is Bulbasaur. It looks very nervous and unsure of itself, but that can easily be fixed with the right kind of training. In addition, Bulbasaur will also give me a slight advantage against rock-type Pokémon, which will be a great help in the first Gym battle. But...' _Ash looked at Annie next to him. _'She_ _has always wanted_ a _Bulbasaur, for as long as I have known her. What do I do?'_

"Well Ash, how about you pick one now" Professor Oak said smiling at Ash.

Ash turned his gaze from the professor and looked at the two Pokémon before him. Charmander was looking at him with a hopeful smile and Bulbasaur with a shy one. He then turned his head and looked at Annie who had her eyes closed and he could almost hear her whispering to herself, _please not Bulbasaur! please not Bulbasaur! _Over and over again.

"I think you should let Annie pick first," Ash said to Professor Oak.

"Alright, if you're sure Ash" Professor Oaks said with a proud smile. The situation was not lost on the good professor. He knew very well how much Annie wanted Bulbasaur, and seeing Ash putting his friend before his own need was very selfless action indeed. _'That boy have the potential to become great trainer. I just know it.' _

Annie looked very surprised for a second before a big smile broke out on her face. She let a loud squeal of happiness, ran over, and hugged an equally happy Bulbasaur who closed its eyes in bliss while saying 'bulbasaur'. Ash and Professor Oak smiled at the scene before the professor gave Ash a small nod.

Ash slowly walked up to Charmander and kneeled down to its eye level. "Hallo little guy, my name is Ash your trainer, I hope we will become great friends" Ash said with an optimistic smile on his face.

"Charrr" Charmander tilted his head before hugging Ash while saying 'charrrmander'. Ash was a little surprised by his first Pokémon's quick acceptance of him, but nether less, hugged back the small fire-type, very happy with the turnout.

Annie came over with Bulbasaur in her arms. "Congratulations with your Pokémon Ash, I'm sure you and Charmander will go far together" Annie said with a smile toward Ash and his new Pokémon. 'Bulba!" The grass-type congratulated as well.

"Thank you Annie and congratulations to you two as well. You and Bulbasaur look like best friends already"

"Yeah, this is the best day of my life!" Annie exclaimed and gave her Bulbasaur another hug. The small grass Pokémon closing its eyes in content, very happy with its new trainer.

"Yes well done you two," Professor Oak said drawing their attention towards him yet again. "It's wonderful to see you two connecting so well with your Pokémon, and your bond with your Pokémon will only continue to grow from here on out."

"Okay, here are your Poké balls and a Pokédex" Professor Oak said and handed them their respective items. "The Poke Balls are used to catch wild Pokémon, while the Pokédex works as a guide with a large knowledgebase on all the Pokémon in Kanto. The Pokédex also works as your Pokémon trainer identification and cannot be replaced if you lose it or if it gets stolen, so keep it on your person at all times." Professor Oak informed the two trainers, who nodded that they understood.

"Wow. Thank you very much Professor Oak" Ash said as he clipped the five empty Poké ball to his belt and placed the Pokédex in a pocket at the inside of his red jacket.

"Yes. Thank you Professor!" Annie exclaimed as well.

"You are very welcome the both of you. I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress out there and good luck on your journey" Professor Oak bid the two farewell and went back into his work.

Annie placed Bulbasaur on the ground and gave Ash a quick hug. "Have a great journey Ash. I hope we will meet again sometime soon"

"Me too." Ash said returning the hug. "And if not, we will meet in Indigo Plateau."

"I hold you to that promise" Annie said with a smile and gave a little wave before leaving the lab with her Bulbasaur following closely behind her.

Ash turned to Charmander who looked expectantly up at his trainer. "What do you say buddy? Should we get out of here too?" He said with a grin, eager to start his journey as well.

"Charrrr, charmander!" The reptilian Pokémon said happily, just as excited to begin the adventure that lied ahead of them.

"Great, let's go!" Ash said and left Professor Oak's Lab with Charmander walking right beside him.

* * *

**Yep, another chapter down. Please drop a review on your way out, that is every writer's source of motivation.**

**Thanks for reading and see you again next time!**


	3. Chapter 3: First Steps

**Sorry about the slight delay. I was a little busy this weekend and this chapter was hard to write, which is way it took a few more days to complete. This chapter is also a little longer than my previous ones. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: First Steps**

When Ash got home from Professor Oak's Lab with Charmander by his side, he found his mother in the living room with many different items lined up on the dining table. There were 10 Potions, 5 Super Potions and surprisingly, 3 Hyper Potions. There were even some Antidotes against poison and a few Full Heal. Next to the medical gear laid around 10 Poké Balls. On the table, there were also stacks of various forms of Pokémon food for different types of Pokémon and a large collection of berries as well, such as Oran Berry, Sitrus Berry and others which could cure sickness and other status problems.

"Wow, what's with all this stuff?" Ash said when he and Charmander entered the room. Delia Ketchum gave a small start, she hadn't heard her son coming home.

"Ash! You startled me, I didn't hear you enter the house." Delia said holding a hand to her chest, trying to calm her rapid beating heart. She then turned towards the small lizard Pokémon who was hiding shyly behind Ash's leg.

"Ohh, it's so cute" His mother said and approached Charmander.

"Charr?" It gave the woman a confused stare and tilted its head to the side.

"Charmander, I want you to meet my mother." Ash guided his starter to standstill in front of him and introduced it to his mom. Charmander instantly took a liking to his trainer's mother and ran over and embraced her. Delia gave a small giggle and congratulated Ash on his first Pokémon.

"I this little guy was a perfect choice honey. I'm sure you will become great friends in no time." She said after releasing Charmander from the hug. "And to answer your question earlier, what you see on the table is just a few items I had laying around from back when I was a trainer. I found it upstairs and though that you would could take it with you on your journey. That would be a much better use for it, instead of it just laying up there and collecting dust. Don't you think? Delia explained with smile.

"Wow, thank you so much mom" Ash said and gave his mother a big hug in gratitude.

"Pichuu!" Ash saw Pichu come running out from the kitchen and just managed to catch it as it leapt from the floor and into his arms.

"Hi Pichu. I've missed you too." Ash said rubbing the yellow fur on top of its head, drawing coos of appreciation from the small electric mouse. "Buddy, there is someone I like you too meet."

Ash placed Pichu back on the ground in front of Charmander. The two Pokémon gazed nervously on each other while Ash introduced them. It started out a little awkward you could say, but they quickly warmed up to each other and seemed to grow more content with the others presence by the minute, and soon they were both playing together on the floor.

Ash smiled and let out a relieved breathe, as he watched the two Pokémon wrestle on the floor. Charmander clearly had the upper hand in the mock fight due to its size, compared to the tiny electric Pokémon. Ash had been a little worried about how Charmander would react to the smaller Pokémon, but now happy to realized that his fears were for nothing.

* * *

"Oh Ash!" Delia sobbed and gave her son a tight hug, nearly squishing the life out of him in the process. "I'm going to miss you so much."

They were standing outside by the lawn saying their goodbyes, before Ash would start his quest to become a Pokémon master. Pichu and Charmander was standing on the ground besides their trainer, with Charmander holding his flaming tail in his small hands, waving it from side to side playfully teasing Pichu, who's eyes followed the tail's every movement with great interest.

Delia released Ash from the embrace and looked proudly at her son.

"I'm so proud of you honey. Here you are, my little boy. You are finally going to fulfill your dream and start your Pokémon training. Please promise me that you will be careful Ash"

"Don't worry Mom. I'll be careful...besides, I have Charmander and Pichu to keep me out of trouble" Ash said with a grin and looked to his Pokémon. "Right guys?"

"Pichu!" "Charrr!" The two Pokémon chorused. Ash picked up his backpack from the ground and placed it over his right shoulder, ready to take his first steps towards his dream. Delia got down on her knees and gave the two Pokémon a hug as well and said goodbye. She wouldn't be seeing her son or his Pokémon for a long time. After the hug, Pichu left his spot on the ground and crawled up and settled himself on Ash's free shoulder with a happy expression on his face. Delia looked at the two with a smile.

"I really wished that you and Pichu didn't have to part ways. You have become such good friends since you brought him home from the forest. Plus, he is simply too cute to pass up." Delia said with a small giggle as she scratched the baby Pokémon under it's chin, much to its enjoyment.

"Call me when you get to Viridian City, okay?" His mother said and gave Ash a final hug.

"I promise. Goodbye mom."

"Goodbye Ash and bests of luck on your journey."

Ash began walking away with Pichu rested on his shoulder and Charmander walking besides him to the left. But only after having taken a few steps, did he hear his mother's voice again.

"And remember to change your you-know-what every day!" She shouted.

"Got it" Ash flushed in embarrassment even through nobody was around. He turned around and gave his mom a last wave before he continued down the road.

* * *

Ash and his Pokémon walked along the path that led out of town and proceeded to climb up a hill. After a few minutes of climbing Ash ended up in another open field outside of Pallet Town.

"This looks like a nice spot to begin searching for Pokémon" Ash said mostly to himself. "What do you say guys, ready to find some new teammates?"

Charmander and Pichu both nodded and let out a cry of excitement, ready for some action. Ash turned around and looked into the area trying to spot some Pokémon. He could see a Rattata running around looking for food a few meters away. Looking up he could also see a few Pidgey's flying a few meters up in the air.

Ash heard some wings flapping behind him and turned around to stare at a very small bird Pokémon who had just landed on a big rock close by. The Pokémon had a rough, brown plumage on its head with a short, hooked beak. It's underside was beige with two thin stripes. And it had light pink feet with three talons, and its wings were a pinkish red with lighter edges. The Pokémon's back is black, and it had three brown tail feathers.

"A Spearow!" Ash said a pulled out his Pokédex and scanned it. A mechanical voice sounded from the Pokédex.

**Spearow**

**'The Tiny Bird Pokémon'**

**Normal/Flying Type Pokémon**

**Spearow eats bugs in grassy areas. It has to flap it wing at high speed to stay airborne and flush out insects from tall grass. It is very protective of its territory and has a very loud cry which can be heard over half a mile away. If its high, keening cry is heard echoing all around; it is a sign that they are warning each other of danger. Spearow has a terrible attitude, so trainers should approach this Pokémon with extreme caution. **

"Best steer clear of that one." Ash murmured as the Pokédex finished its description. _'Battling against one single Spearow wouldn't be that much of a hassle. I am sure Charmander could take it down. But should it decide to cry for help, then we would have an entire flock to deal with. Taking that chance would be stupid and reckless.'_

It was common knowledge in Pallet Town that a large flock of Spearows and even a few Fearows had chosen to make the forest on Route 1 their territory. There had been a few reports of incidents where trainers have gotten hurt, and Professor Oak have tried coming up with a solution to the problem, but haven't been successful so far. But as long as didn't provoked or disturbed them, they tended to just ignore you, _for the most part._

* * *

Ash and his Pokémon moved further into the terrain in search for more Pokémon. The trio walked through the tall grass with Ash in the lead and Pichu rested safely on his shoulder on the look-out for any movement. Charmander was walking a few steps in front of Ash. Charmander was doing a good job leading the group, ready for battle at any given moment should a Pokémon decide to engage them. His concentration was only interrupted a few times when he would accidentally brush his flaming tail against some grass, making it catch on fire. Ash couldn't help chuckle at the sight because each time it happened, the small lizard Pokémon would panic and frantically try to blow it out.

After a few more minutes of walking they came upon a small clearing, a Pidgey could be seen on the ground a few meters away.

"This is it!" Ash said excitedly "Ready Charmander?"

"Charrr!" Charmander said with a determinate glint in its eyes.

"Aright. Charmander use Scratch on that Pigdey!"

Charmander charged the avian with his right hand raised and ready to strike. The Pidgey got airborne and tried to dodge the fire Pokémon's claw, but got hit and pushed back a couple of meters. It gave an angry cry flew at Charmander at a high speed.

_'A Quick Attack!' _Ash thought, recognizing the attack. "Dodge it Charmander!"

Charmander jumped to the left and just barely managed to dodged the incoming attack. Pidgey did a quick turn in the air and tried again.

"Charmander, use Growl and dodge the attack" Ash yelled from the sidelines. Pichu was standing by Ash's leg, watching the fight and cheering on the battling lizard Pokémon.

Charmander let out a growl which intimidated the avian for a second, but didn't deter the fast approaching Pidgey who continued its assault. Pidgey rammed into Charmander with its talons and the force from the attack sent the fire-type to the ground. Charmander recovered quickly and got back on its feet.

"You okay, Charmander?" Ash asked Chamander as it responded with a determined nod, ready for the next command from its trainer.

"Alright Charmander, use Ember!"

"Charr!" Charmander opened it mouth and fired the Ember attack on the fast approaching Pidgey, making a direct hit. Pidgey lost control of its wings and just narrowly missed colliding with Charmander, before crashing to the ground hard a few meters behind him. The bird Pokémon had taken heavy damage and lay on the ground completely motionless.

"Okay, now or never. Poké Ball Go!" Ash shouted and threw the Poké Ball at the unconscious Pidgey. The Poké Ball hit the Pokémon and enveloped it. The ball shook back and forth a couple of times as the dot in the middle glowed red, and after a few seconds it stopped and went out with a small ding.

"Yes! We caught a Pidgey." Ash cheered and raised his fist up in the air in victory. He walked over to the Poké Ball and picked it up from ground and attached it to his belt.

"Great work Charmander." Ash scoped Charmander up in his arms and gave his starter a hug. "You were awesome out there."

"Char, Charmander!" It said happily, returning the hug. Pleased that he had won his first battle for his trainer. Ash placed Charmander back on the ground and beamed proudly at the small lizard Pokémon.

"Let's get you healed up, shall we? That was quit a hit you took back there." Ash said as he roamed through his backpack and picked up a Potion. He sprayed Charmander on its battered stomach and the lizard let out a hiss of pain.

"Sorry about the stinging. It will hurt a little at first, but it will help" Ash promised and after getting Charmander patched up, the group continued on their way.

* * *

Travelling through the forest of route 1 got Ash thinking. He knew that it would take around 2-3 days before they would reach Viridian City and nightfall was approaching. They would have to find a spot to set up camp soon before it got too dark.

After a few hours of walking, Ash found a small clearing by the river and decided to set up camp there. It only took a few minutes to put the tent up together with Pichu, who due to its size could only lift the small and not so heavy things. But it was a great help none the less. Charmander had made quick work of getting a fire going, having a fire-type Pokémon as a starter did have its advantages in the wild. Charmander had gone into the woods and after collection some branches, he placed them neatly on the ground and had a small fire going in no time.

The group got comfy around the fire and Ash started preparing some food for his Pokémon and himself. He mentally thanked his mother for teaching him how to cook both human and Pokémon food in preparation for his journey. When you're on the on a Pokémon journey and on the road for many months at a time, cooking your own meals and food for your Pokémon is a skill that every trainer should have. Some decent food with the right vitamins would help Ash's Pokémon growth and make them healthy. And not to mention stronger as well.

Keeping an eye on the food, Ash decided that he should heal Pidgey and introduce him to the others. He withdrew a Poké Ball from his belt and released the avian Pokémon. Pidgey mesmerized before Ash on the ground and it still had some injuries from its fight with Charmander earlier. But the small bird Pokémon still managed to hop over to Ash and gave his new trainer a pained, yet curious look.

"Hello Pidgey. I am your trainer Ash, and I am going to become a Pokémon master. I will help train you and make you as strong as you can be." Ash said while retrieving a Potion and healed his Pidgey. "There, that should do it! How do you feel Pidgey?"

The Pidgey gave a happy squeak and flew up and landed on Ash's shoulder, and nuzzled it's head against his cheek in affection.

"You´re a friendly one, aren't you." Ash said with a laugh and petted the small bird. Ash took his Pokédex and scanned his new Pokémon.

**Pidgey**

**'The Tiny Bird Pokémon'**

**Normal/Flying Type Pokémon**

**Pidgey is a common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand. Pidgey usually hides in the tall grass because it dislikes fighting and prefers to avoid conflict. If disturbed, however, it can ferociously strike back. Pidgey has an extremely sharp sense of direction. It is capable of unerringly returning home to its nest, however far it may be removed from its familiar surroundings.**

**This Pidgey's height is 1'0 (0,30m) and weights 4 Ibs (1,8kg).**

**Ability: Keen Eye &amp; Tangled Feet.**

**Attacks: Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust &amp; Quick Attack.**

"And you are a strong one too. let's introduce you to the rest of the team, shall we." Ash complimented the bird Pokémon with a smile and turned towards Charmander and Pichu who was both sitting by the small camp fire, enjoying the heart the dancing flames produced.

"Hey guys, could you get over here for a second?" The two Pokémon instantly responded and came to a stand before Ash. "I would like you to introduce to our new friend, Pidgey. She will be travelling with us from now on, so make her feel welcome while I finish preparing the food, okay?"

Charmander and Pichu nodded in agreement and Pidgey flew off Ash's shoulder and landed before the lizard and mouse. The three Pokémon began talking among themselves and Ash went over to check up on the food. It was coming along nicely but still needed a few more minutes before it was done.

Ash remembered that he still had yet to scan Pichu and Charmander with the Pokédex and pulled the small device from his back pocket. He pointed the Pokédex towards Charmander who was sitting on the ground conversing with the two other Pokémon. He scanned his starter Pokémon and Dexter's mechanical voice filled the air.

**Charmander**

**'The Lizard Pokémon'**

**Fire Type Pokémon**

**Charmander obviously prefers hot places and when it rains, steam is said to spout from the tip of its tail. The flame on Charmander's tail shows the strength of its life force, and if it is weak, the flame also burns weakly. If the flame were to go out, it would die. The flame on its tail is also an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself, and burns fiercely when it becomes enraged.**

**This Charmander's height is 2'0 (0,61m), and it weights 18,7 Ibs (8,5 kg).**

**Ability: Blaze.**

**Attacks: Scratch, Growl &amp; Ember.**

"Not bad Charmander" Ash said to himself looking at Charmander with approval. "Let's see what it says about you, Pichu" He said and scanned Pichu as well.

**Pichu**

**'The Tiny Mouse Pokémon'**

**Electric Type Pokémon**

**Pichu charges itself with electricity more easily on days with thunderclouds or when the air is very dry. Despite its small size, it can zap even adult humans. However if it does so, it also surprises itself. The electric pouches on its cheeks are still small and cannot store electricity yet. When Pichu gets startled it discharges power accidentally, but gets better at holding power when it gets older. Pichu plays with others by touching tails and setting off sparks. This appears to be a test of courage.**

**This Pichu's height is 1'0 (0,30m), and it weights 4,4 Ibs (2.0 kg).**

**Ability: Static**

**Attacks: Thundershok, Charm, Tail Whip, Sweet Kiss &amp; Thunder Wave.**

After Ash and his Pokémon had finished eating their meals, they could be seen sitting around the camp fire. Ash was sitting on the ground with Pichu fast asleep on his lap. Pidgey was seated on Ash's shoulder just enjoying the peace and quiet. And lastly, Charmander was laying on his stomach next to Ash with his eyes looking deeply into the flames and just soaking up the warmth of the fire.

Ash couldn't help think about his two rivals, Gary and Annie. _'I wonder how far those two are by now. Gary is properly already at Viridian City by now, having a car sure is a lot faster than walking. Seriously...what kind of parent would let a 10 year old boy own and drive a car.' _Ash thought as he gazed into the flames. He could only shake his head in bewilderment at his spoilt rival. He turned his thoughts to his second rival, Annie. If you even could call her a rival, it was more like a friendly competition that the two of them had. Ash have always gotten along well the black haired beauty, and have been friends for nearly four years now. She was also travelling by foot and could be anywhere on Route 1 at the moment. Ash hoped that he would meet her again soon and maybe challenge her to a Pokémon battle. Ash let out a yawn and turned to his Pokémon.

"Well, let's go to bed and get some sleep. We're going to need all our strength because tomorrow we continues on our way toward Viridian City."

* * *

"Stop! Hold it right there" A voice startled Ash when he entered Viridian City. He turned his head to a see a female police officer coming towards him. She was wearing a dark blue shirt and tight skirt, she had amber eyes and greenish-blue hair.

She began speaking again after she came to a stop before Ash, blocking his entrance into the city. "And where do you think you're going, young man?"

"uhm...into the city?" Ask answered with a confused look on his face.

"Yes, I can see that! What is your business in Viridian City? There have been sightings of Pokémon thieves in the area and Viridian City is currently under tight security." The Police woman gave Ash a suspicious stare. "Are you a Pokémon thief?"

"No, I'm just trying to get to the Pokémon center and get my Pokémon healed"

"Okay, and why is it you don't have that Pokémon in its Poké Ball?" She said giving the Pichu on Ash's shoulder a pointed stare. "Is it maybe because you don't actually own it?"

"Listen officer. I don't know anything about some Pokémon thieves. I've only just started my Pokémon journey yesterday. I have been travelling from Pallet Town and haven't set foot in Viridian City in years. The Pokémon on my shoulder is my friend Pichu, and he is outside because he doesn't like to go into his Poké Ball. I tell you, you got the wrong guy. I'm a Pokémon Trainer." Ash explained and knowingly _forgot _to tell her that Pichu actually didn't have a PokéBall to stay in. Ash didn't want tell the Police officer that Pichu wasn't exactly his Pokémon, and that he was just traveling with Ash to Viridian Forest. He didn't think that the police woman would believe him even if that was the truth.

"Hmm...Do you have any identification that can prove that claim? or do I have to arrest you?"

"I-Identification?" Ash said dumbly. He didn't remember getting any kind of license or anything. Ash looked nervously at the police woman for a second. She was tapping her foot impatiently and giving him an intimidating glare, which only made Ash more nervous.

Ash tried franticly to think of something, anything that could help him prove that he was a trainer. _'What do I do? I don't have any identification. Should I run? nah, she would catch me faster than Snorlax catches sleep. What do I do? We didn't receive any kind of license, Professor Oak gave was some Poké Balls and a...Pokédex' _Ash though and nearly face-palmed for being so stupid to forget. The Pokédex work as a encyclopedia on Pokémon and is the trainer's identification tool.

Ash pulled the Pokédex from his back pocket and handed it over to the police woman who pushed a few buttons and the mechanical voice of the Pokédex began to speak.

**"I am Dexter, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. My function is to provide Ash with information regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."**

"Everything seems to be in order. Sorry about accusing you of being a thief before, but you can never be too careful nowadays. By the way, my name is Officer Jenny, law enforcement officer of Viridian City" Officer Jenny said with a smile on her face, her attitude doing a complete turnaround after getting confirmed that the young boy in front of her wasn't a criminal. She handed the Pokédex back to Ash.

"Oh that's fine, better safe than sorry right." Ash said with a relieved smile. "But what was that about Pokémon thieves being spotted near the city?" Ash asked curiously.

"Yeah, some members of Team Rocket have been seen close to Viridian City and near Route 22."

"Team Rocket?" Ash asked, haven't ever heard about them before.

"They are a gang of criminals who steals Pokémon and uses them for horrible experiments. Team Rocket is a organization hell bent on world domination and won't stop at nothing before their goal is achieved. They have been stepping up their operations lately, with many accounts of sighting all over Kanto. But if those common criminals think that they can just come here and cause mayhem, then they got another thing coming. Nobody breaks the law and get away with it, not in my city." Officer Jenny raised her tone slightly at the last part.

"But why would people do such a thing? I mean, what could possibly be gained from doing experiments on Pokémon?" Ash asked confused. It just didn't make any sense.

"I don't know. That is just the way those kind of people are, I guess. Greedy people who only thinks about the money and never gives a second thought to the innocent they hurt in the process. They need to be stopped. But I can't leave the city unprotected while I'm out and investigating. So that is out of the question, since I am the only officer on duty."

"But can't you call for back-up or something?" Ash quizzed.

"I already have. But they won't be here until tomorrow night."

They continued talking for a few minutes before Ash decided he should get to the Pokémon Center. He was getting a little tired after the long day and dark was fast approaching.

"Well, I must be going now. I really hope you catch those thieves."

"I will, you can be certain of that" Officer Jenny said with fierce determination shining in her eyes. "Goodbye Ash, and good luck on your journey. And if you see anything suspicious don't hesitate to call me." Officer Jenny said and handed over a small card to Ash.

"I would...but how am I going to call you if I am miles away from the nearest Pokémon Center?"

"With Pokégear off cause." The Officer said, but noticed the confused expression on Ash's face. "You do know what Pokégear is, don't you?"

"No. I haven't heard about it before. What is it?"

"Well, it is a new device created by Silph Co. It was created in the Johto region and have just recently been shipped to Kanto and made available in stores everywhere in our own region. The Pokégear is an important tool for trainers, some see it necessary to have one on a Trainer's adventure. It has some very useful features; It displays a map of the region, it shows the clock and properly most importantly. It makes a trainer able to call other trainers that are registered on their Pokégear." Officer Jenny explained.

"Wow, that sounds very handy. I think I will go buy one."

"Sounds like good idea. But you will have to wait until tomorrow, since the local Pokémart is closed for the day."

"Okay. Thanks again Officer Jenny." Ash thanked the officer and continued on his way into the city.

Ash had a frown on his face as he walked down the empty streets of Viridian City. The city was practically a ghost town. The streets were vacant of both cars on the road and people on the walkway. Light could only be seen in a few houses but most of them were dark, and no life what so ever seemed to be on the other side of the windows. Ash wondered if the reason to why the city was so silent. Was because nighttime was coming or if it was the fear of Team Rocket that had the citizens hiding in their homes. _'Maybe both...'_

He couldn't believe that some people could be so cruel and do such things to Pokémon. Just thinking about Team Rocket and what those Pokémon at their labs most be going though everyday...Ash couldn't even begin to imagine the horror. It made Ash sick to his stomach just thinking about it.

Pichu noticed that his friend's bad mood and rested a small paw against Ash's left cheek and gave a small cry in concern_._ Ash was broken from his thoughts and noticed that he had stopped walking.

"I'm fine Pichu. I just thought about Team Rocket and all those poor Pokémon in their captivity."

"Pi?" Pichu tilted its head to the side with a puzzled look on its face.

"I just wished there was something I could do to help. It's wrong what they are doing and I..." Ash paused and gave the electric mouse a look. "It doesn't matter. Officer Jenny will catch them and put them in jail."

Ash continued his slow pace towards the Pokémon Center.

"And besides, chances of us even running in to them are slim to none existent. So we should be okay"

* * *

Ash entered the Pokémon Center, which was a huge two floored building with a Poké Ball shaped roof. He made his way towards the counter in the middle of the massive hall where a pink haired woman was standing. She wore a white blouse and skirt and standing beside her, was a Chansey.

"Good evening, and welcome to Viridian Pokémon Center. My name is Nurse Joy, how can I help you?" The nurse greeted with a smile.

"Hello. I was wondering if you could heal my Pokémon, please?"

"Yes. Just place your Poké Balls on the tray and I will take care of it." Ash followed the instruction and placed Charmander and Pidgey's Poke Balls in the tray.

"What a cute Pokémon you have on your shoulder. I have never seen a Pichu in real life, they are usually really shy around humans." The nurse gave the small mouse a look of wonder Don't you want him to be looked over as well?"

"No thanks Nurse Joy, that is not necessary. But if it isn't a problem, maybe I could possible rent a room for the night?"

"Sure you can, just hand over your Pokédex for a moment so I can scan you into our system."

After Nurse Joy had done that, she handed Ash back his Pokédex along with a key. "Just down the hall to the right. You will find room number 17 at the end of the hall. I will have your Pokémon brought up to you once I have finished with them" She said with a small smile.

"That would be great, thank you Nurse Joy." Ash said and gave her a big smile before he went to find his room along with Pichu.

* * *

**Booom!**

Ash was awoken from his sleep when a loud bang echoed and a tremor shook the room. He was on his feet in seconds and looked startled around him, trying to figure out what was going on. He looked at the clock on the night table and saw that it read 03:22 am. He got changed into his clothes as fast as possible and grabbed his Poké Balls with the newly healed Charmander and Pidgey inside and attached them to his belt. Pichu had also been awoken by the noise and was looking around in slight panic.

"Come on Pichu, we need to see what's going on." Ash said quickly and picked the tiny mouse up in his arms and ran out of his room and into the hallway.

People were in a full blown panic and were running back and forth, screaming and trying to get outside. Ash tried to maneuver through the hall, but the lights in the narrow hallway kept flickered on and off, making it very difficult to see anything at all.

**Booom!**

Another loud bang sounded and Ash was thrown to the floor by the shockwave of a massive explosion coming from the lobby of the Pokémon Center. The violent explosion nearly destroyed the hallway, sending debris and dust everywhere. Ash tried to get back on his legs, but it was a slow process. His ears was ringing and his head was spinning, making him dizzy. But in the end he was successful, and was standing on shaky legs learning against the damaged wall.

"Are you okay Pichu?" Ash yelled as he slowly kneeled next to the Pokémon and picked it up.

"Pi!" Pichu responded, luckily he was unharmed.

"Thank Arceus" Ash whispered to himself, thanking the heavens that his friend was unhurt.

"Let's get out of here!" He said and started slowly moving towards the end of the hallway.

When Ash and Pichu entered the lobby of the Pokémon Center they were shocked to see the destruction that had befallen the massive hall, it looked nothing like it used too. The ground was littered with debris and rubble laying everywhere. All the furniture that once stood in the room had been blown away, and the counter in the middle of the hall was burnt to a crisp. The entrance door and windows were completely blown apart and shards of glass lay all over the ground. Deep cracks could be seen at various walls and in the floor, making it look like the building could collapse at anytime.

Ash wasted no time and quickly made his way out of the Pokémon Center, trying to put as much distance between himself and the Pokémon Center as possible. Outside he could see the townspeople huddling together and looking around in panic. It didn't seem like any of them knew what was going on. Ash continued looking around until his eyes fell on a lone figure sitting on the walkway a few meters away. It was Nurse Joy, she was sitting with her head buried in her arms sobbing. Ash hurriedly made his way over to her.

"Nurse Joy, what happened? Who did this" Ash asked concerned.

"I-It was T-Team Rocket." She stammered, clearly very shaken up by the whole thing. "T-They attack the Pokémon Center, and came in and took the sick Pokémon." Nurse Joy cried.

Ash was shocked to his core. He didn't quit know what to say. What comfort could he give the nurse, when innocent Pokémon were at the mercy of those thieves. Ash looked at the crowd that had assembled outside the ruined Pokémon Center and spotted Officer Jenny trying to calm people down. Ash turned his attention back to Nurse Joy.

"But how could they get away? Where was Officer Jenny?"

"I don't know, it just happened so fast. One minute they were just standing in the lobby, the next they released their Pokémon and started destroying everything. I tried to get the sick Pokémon transported to the Pokémon Center in Pewter City, but they intercepted me and just took them before I could do anything." Nurse Joy said sobbing into her hands. "Officer Jenny was on the other side of town and by the time she arrived, they were already gone."

Ash looked torn about what to do. He really wished that there was something he could do to help. He looked towards Officer Jenny who was still trying to calm down the citizens. _'She is the only one on duty and back-up doesn't arrive until tomorrow evening. She will be busy trying to gain control of the situation here in the city, but then who is going to help the kidnapped Pokémon?' _Ash thought in despair.

Almost as if sensing what his friend was thinking about, Pichu voiced his opinion.

"Pichu!" Ash looked at his companion on his shoulder and gave it a puzzled stare. Pichu wore a look of anger and it's eyes shined brightly with determination. Ash looked conflicted for a second about what he should do. He was only a 10 year old who had only just begun his journey, what could he do to help?After a few seconds Ash knew the answer. _'It doesn't matter what I can or can't do. The only important thing is that I do something to help those Pokémon. Anything will be better than sitting here and doing nothing' _Ash thought and made his decision.

"Where did they go?" Ash asked Nurse Joy.

"They were last seen heading towards the forest on Route 22" She answered.

"Thanks" Ash gave her a nod of gratitude and started running at a fast pace towards the forest and possibly the biggest challenge of his life.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and feel free to drop a review if you like**.


	4. Chapter 4: The Last Breath

**First off I want to start by apologizing for the lack of updates in the last 2 months. It has been a very busy summer and pretty much all of my limited free time was used on hanging out with friends and family. I have just enrolled into college, so from now on updates will properly not be as frequent as it was before my 'summer break', but I can assure you that I have no intention of abandoning this story. I have really been looking forward to writing this chapter because as most of you know, Mewtwo won the pull of readers choice, but this chapter will feature a special Pokémon of my own choice that I think Ash should have. So without further a due, let's get on with the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Last Breath**

The forest of Route 22 was quiet ,way too quiet. The trees were unmoving and the wind was calm and barely noticeable. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air and Ash was on high alert, listening for a sound. It didn't matter what sound, any sound that could help lead him to the abducted Pokémon that was taken from the Pokémon Center. He had been searching the forest for a good 20 minutes now and he still hadn't come across any members of Team Rocket.

"This is hopeless! We will never find them." Ash stopped walking and went to sit on a boulder. He let out a deep sign and looked to a tiny mouse Pokémon who was standing beside him on the ground.

"I just don't get it. We have been looking everywhere and there is still no sign of them anywhere. It's like they have just vanished without a trace." Ash said in defeat and Pichu crawled up Ash's leg and settled himself on his lap.

"Pi" The electric mouse said and rested its paws against him, trying to offer his friend some support.

_'We're not getting anywhere like this. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way, maybe I should try something different.' _Ask looked down to the belt strapped around his midsection and withdrew a Poké Ball. He enlarged it in his hand and threw it in the air, releasing a small bird Pokémon. Pidgey mesmerized before the two in the air and looked toward her trainer for a command.

"Pidgey, we are looking for people who have stolen some Pokémon from the Pokémon Center. They should be somewhere in this forest, but we have been unable to find them anywhere. I needyou tofly up and look for them from the sky."

Pidgey chipped affirmatively and flew up and disappeared from view. Ash picked up Pichu from his lap and placed him on his spot on his shoulder. "Let's hope she stand a better chance of finding them."

"Pi!" The yellow mouse Pokémon said with a nod.

* * *

Ash looked towards the sky for what must have been the tenth time. He let out a sign as there was still no sign of the small avian. Ash was starting to get worried, it had been half an hour since he sent Pidgey out to find Team Rocket and she still hadn't returned. _'Where is she? She should have been back by now. Is she lost? ...no, flying type Pokémon have a great sense of location. On the other hand, this is a pretty big forest'_

A rustling noise sounded from a nearby bush and Ash was instantly on alert. His hand quickly reached out for his belt and closed around Charmander's Poké Ball, ready for a fight should need be.

With slow and determined footsteps, Ash edged closer to the bush where the noise had come from. With one hand Ash grabbed the branch of the bush and pulled it aside to see what was hidden behind. But to Ash's great confusion, the spot was vacant of any life form.

'_What is going on? I could have sworn that the sound came from here' _Ash thought in bewilderment and relaxed his stance.

"Pid!"

Ash's face lit up with a smile as Pidgey came into view. It flew over and came to a halt in front of Ash and all thoughts about the mysterious noise was forgotten and instantly replaced with anticipation.

"Hey Pidgey, did you find them?"

"Pid" The tiny bird Pokémon gave a small cry in affirmative while flapping its wings.

"Show me." Ash picked up Pichu and placed him on his shoulder and took off in a full sprint after the tiny avian.

* * *

Pidgey led Ash and Pichu to the outside of a small clearing by the river. Ash could hear faint voices talking and knew that Team Rocket were close.

Pidgey landed on his free shoulder and gave a low _Pid. _"Great job Pidgey, you did well." Ash whispered. Ash patted the tiny bird Pokémon softly on the head and stroked its feathers, much to the small avian's appreciation.

Ash crouched down and slowly started making his way closer to the clearing, making sure to stay well hidden behind the bushes. As he got near the clearing, he could hear to people talking.

"I can't believe how easy that was!"

"Yeah, I would have thought they would at least have put up more resistance."

"Like that would have changed anything, nobody stands a chance against Team Rocket"

Laughter filled the air and Ash decided to take a peak from his hiding spot. Two men were standing in the middle of the clearing looking very pleased with themselves. They were both wearing black uniforms. They had grey boots and gloves. And a big red 'R' was on their chest area. The only thing that set the two apart was that one of the grunts were a tall and thin, where the other was shorter and had a more average built. Their faces were slightly concealed by a small black mask above the noses, which covered the upper part of their faces, leaving only two small holes for their eyes to look through. Their hair was hidden from view by a small grey hat.

Ash also noticed the small brown bag on the ground, next to the two Team Rocket members. _'That must be where they keep the stolen Pokémon. But how do I get it to it?' _Ash knew that he would properly have to fight the two of them to get it, but they were two against one. Ash had trained his Pokémon a little on his way to Viridian City and had taught them some new moves, but he still wasn't sure if his Pokémon were strong enough to defeat Team Rocket. Ash was broken out of his line of thought when he heard the two grunts speaking again.

"Look at all these Pokémon, and all of them are ours to do with as we please."The tall thin one of them said greedily.

"Don't you forget that they are going to the Boss!"

"I know, I know. He will surely reward us handsomely for might even get a promotion." The taller one said with a dreamy expression on his face.

"Yes, a promotion is nothing less then what we deserve."

"The only thing the two of you deserve, is a prison cell."Ash said loudly and boldly stepped out from his hiding spot, making his presence know to the two thieves.

The two Team Rocket members looked shocked at the interruption and turned to the source of the voice. When they saw Ash, they promptly started to laugh.

"It's just a kid!" The smaller of the two said, still laughing.

The other one took a menacing step forward towards Ash. "Maybe you should head home to your mamma, little boy. Before you get hurt."

Ash ignored him and gave the grunt a hard stare, determined not to let them see how nervous he really was on the inside. "You have something that don't belong to you, give me the Pokémon you've stolen and I'll let you go."

"And what makes you have any chance at beating us. We are Team Rocket, the most powerful criminal organization in the world. You can't stop us" He said arrogantly with a smirk.

"I can, and I will." Ash said bravely and withdrew a Poké Ball from his belt and enlarged it.

"So be it. Prepare to face the wrath of Team Rocket." The grunt threw a Poké Ball and released a Raticate.

"Raticate!" The rodent bared its fangs menacingly.

"Go Charmander!" Ash shouted and released his starter Pokémon.

"Char, Charmander!" The small lizard stared down his opponent, ready to fight.

"Raticate, use Quick Attack!" The grunt yelled and Raticate charged Charmander with quick speeds and hit the small lizard Pokémon before it could dodge. Charmander was pushed back a few steps but no major damage was done and it quickly regained its bearings.

"Charmander, use Growl followed up by an Ember!" Ash shouted. Charmander leaned forward and released a deafening Growl making the Raticate lower its attack. The moment of hesitation from Raticate was enough and the mouse Pokémon was hit directly in the face with the flame attack, making Raticate give a cry of pain.

"Lucky hit boy, but it will take more than that to defeat us." The grunt raised his right hand, pointing at Charmander and commanded. "Raticate, use Hyper Fang!"

Raticate angrily rushed at Charmander with its teeth shining and ready to strike. The mouse Pokémon bit down hard on its opponent's tail. The fire type Pokémon yelled out in agony and tried in a blind panic to shake the rodent off its tail.

"Charmander, use Scratch!" Ash shouted and after a well-placed Scratch attack, Raticate was pushed off the lizard Pokémon.

_'This doesn't look good. Raticate is stronger and clearly has more experience battling.' _Ash thought as the battle went on. Charmander continued trying to land an attack on its opponent, but the mouse Pokémon was simply too fast and dodged all the lizard's attacks easily. An overpowered Tackle attack sent Charmander flying back, landing heavily on the ground a few meters away.

"Charmander!" Ash yelled worriedly as the fire-type Pokémon struggled to get back up. "Are you okay?"

"Char!" Charmander said nodding with labored breathes. Despite its body was covered in brushes and he looked close to fainting from the damages, Charmander was willing to fight to the end if his trainer commanded him to.

_'I need a plan. Charmander won't last much longer if this continues.' _Ash looked at the bag of the stolen Pokémon laying on the ground besides the smaller member of Team Rocket who was watching the fight. _'I need to get that bag! But how?'_

Ash looked at his Charmander and then to his Pidgey who was on top of his right shoulder. A plan started to form in Ash's mind, it was a little risky, but a plan nonetheless.

"Raticate, finish this with Hyper Fang!"

Ash saw the Raticate speed towards Charmander with its teeth blazing and ready to strike. "Charmander, use Smokescreen!" Ash commanded hisstarter Pokémon and seconds later, the whole space where Team Rocket and their Pokémon had been was now covered in a thick cloud of smoke.

Ash seized the moment and quickly returned Charmander into his Poké Ball. He then turned his head to Pidgey and pointed to the smoke.

"Pidgey, get the bag!"

Pidgey hurriedly left Ash's shoulder and disappeared into the cloud of smoke. It's keen eyes spotted the bag of Poké Balls instantly in the haze. The bird Pokémon quickly glided down and grabbed the bag from the ground with its claws in one swift movement.

Ash saw Pidgey emerge from the smoke cloud and dropped the bag into his awaiting hands. "Let's go!" Ash yelled and wasted no time in running into the forest.

* * *

Ash ran at full speed through the forest, tying to get as much distance between himself and the Team Rocket members as possible. Pichu clung tightly to his shoulder while Pidgey was flying above him. He could hear the two thieves behind him getting closer and closer, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before they caught up with him.

_'I need to come up with a plan, and fast. There is no telling what they will do if they catch me. But I'm sure it won't be pleasant.' _Ash kept running, dodging the various branches that got in the way and jumped over a few fallen trees that blocked the path.

Ash came to a suddenly halt when the pathway just seemed to end.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ash yelled in frustration. Yet again a chase through a forest had led him to a cliff with no means of escaping. There was of cause always the action of going back the way he came, but that was no option since he could hear the two Team Rocket members getting nearer.

_'This is happening way too often for my liking.' _Ash thought with a frown on his face.

"Pidgey, return!" Ash said and recalled Pidgey back into its Poké Ball. He opened the bag in his hand to see around 20-30 Poké Balls. _'Maybe one of these can help me fight off Team Rocket.' _Ash wondered.

_'There must be at least one Pokémon in here that could help me fight them off. But then again, what are the chances that they would even listen to me?' _Ash thought but quickly dismissed the idea. Even if the Pokémon would obey him, there was not nearly enough space on the cliff for a Pokémon battle. Ash was broken from his thought when he was startled by a voice.

"Well, well, well. Looks like you ran out of luck kid." One of the grunts said with a sinister laugh.

"You gave it a good try, but it's over now. Give us back the Pokémon now or face the consequences."

The Team Rocket members had arrived and were standing a few paces away, blocking the way into the forest. Ash knew that his options for a escape were limited and backed up slightly, a look of fear on his young face.

_'Oh no. What do I do? I'm trapped.'_

Ash took a few steps backwards towards the edge of the cliff and looked down. The hillside was very steep and several meters down below was a big river that stretched all across the landscape. High waves could be seen moving on the surface of the water, clashing violently against the rocky bottom of the cliff.

"So are you going to give us the Pokémon, or do we have to come and take them from you?" The taller Team Rocket member said and started walk closer to Ash.

"I will never give them to the likes of you!" Ash made his decision and gave him a defiant stare and then he jumped of the cliff.

Ash fell through the sky at an incredibly speed towards the river down below. He held Pichu close into his chest with his right arm and the bag of Poké Balls in the other. He could hear the Team Rocket member's screams of anger from the top of the cliff. At least he could take joy in the fact that they wouldn't succeed their mission. Ash just hoped that he would survive this.

Ash hit the water hard and painfully, causing a big splash in the process. He felt his whole body being consumed by water as he started descending towards the depths of the ocean. The water was cold and dark and chilled Ash to the bone. He tried to swim upward towards the surface but the heavy weight of his clothes and the bag of Poké Balls, was making it near impossible. He kept paddling his legs and arms, trying to gain momentum but it was going way to slow and he was quickly starting to run out of oxygen. His muscles screamed in protest with every movement but he couldn't give up, not now. He could barely see the surface which was highlighted by the moonlight in the dark water.

After a few minutes Ash started to panic, he knew he wouldn't reach the surface in time. He had no strength left and could barely move his arms or his legs anymore and exhaustion started to claim him.

_'Looks like this is it. I haven't even been a Pokémon trainer for a week and now it is over. Is this really how it's supposed to end? Me drowning at the bottom of some lake.'_

Ash's vision started to darken as his lungs got filled with water and he started struggling to breathe but it was futile to fight it. His body went limp and he slowly started to sink toward the bottom of the lake.

_'Well, I gave it my best shot, nobody can expect better from me. I saved those Pokémon from Team Rocket, that's all that matters. I just wished that my Pokémon didn't have to share the same fate.' _

And with that last thought Ash lost consciousness and helplessly continued his descend towards the bottom of the ocean and towards his death.

* * *

"Cough! Cough!" Ash was laying on his stomach coughing up water. His body was aching all over and his vision was blurry. He rolled over onto his back, closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breathes, trying to get his breathing under control. After a few minutes Ash's breathing returned to normal, but a splitting headache remained and made it hard for him to think straight.

_'What happened? Where am I?' _Ash thought as he painfully lifted himself up so that he was resting on elbows and cracked one of his eyes open to try and see where he was. He was lying on a sandy shore leading up to the grassy fields of the forest and the river in front of him. It was still night and the moon stood high in the sky, illuminating the ground below with a bright light.

Ash looked to his right and spotted his belt with his Poké Balls laying in the sand next to him a couple of feet's away. He crawled over and attached them back onto his wrist and let of a sign of relief. _'Thank god I didn't lose these. But I seem to forgetting something...where is..'_

"Pichuu!" A yellow blur crashed into Ash's stomach and gave him a fierce hug. Ash groaned painfully as his body was still sore from the ordeal, but he didn't care, he was glad to see that his friend was okay and hugged him close into his chest.

"Pi?" The tiny electric mouse stared at Ash with a concerned look.

"I'm alright" Ash said weakly and patted the Pokémon on the head. "How about you, are you okay?"

"Pi, Pichuu" The small Pokémon answered while nodding its head. Ash inspected Pichu to be sure and was happy to see that he was uninjured. His fur was wet which was to be expected, but he was luckily unharmed.

Pichu jumped off of Ash and positioned himself on the sand next to his friend. Ash slowly rose from his position on the sand and stood shakily on his legs. _'How is this possible? I should have died down there. There was no way I could have survived. But then how?'_

Ash tried to remember what happen, but couldn't for the life of him figure out what happened. He remembered standing on top of the cliff with Team Rocket before jumping off of it and into the lake. He remembered trying to swim to the surface but was unable to do so and blacked out. It just didn't make any sense. Ash was broken from his train of thoughts when a splashing noise sounded from the lake.

A Pokémon could be seen in the water. It was a medium-sized fish with large vacant eyes. Its pectoral and tail fins were white and has a stiff, three-peaked fin on both its back and stomach that are both yellow. It also had long tan barbels which exited from its heavy scaled body.

_'A Magikarp!' _Ash thought in surprise. But this one looked different, unlike the traditional Magikarps this one's scales were a brilliant golden color which seemed to sparkle in the moon light.

"Wow. A Shiny Magikarp" Ash said to himself as he stared at the fish Pokémon in awe.

The Magikarp swarm closer to the shore and dropped something in the sand which it had been carrying in its mouth. Ash approached the Pokémon slowly to see what it was and noticed to his shook that it was the bag of Poké Balls that Team Rocket had stolen from the Pokémon Center. He picked up the bag and inspected the contents and was happy to note that all the Pokémon was there. Ash put two and two together, it must have been the Magikarp who saved him from drowning. First it must have dropped him and Pichu off on the shore and afterwards went back down to the bottom of the lake to retrieve the bag of Poké Balls.

He carefully placed the bag in the sand and went over and kneeled before the shiny fish Pokémon.

"It was you wasn't it? You were the one who saved me?" Ash asked softly.

"Karp! Karp!" Magikarp splashed happily with its fins in the water. Ash took that as a _yes._

"Thank you so much, I owe you my life." Ash said and stroked its scales with his hand, making the Magikarp lean into the touch.

"Karp! Karp! Magikarp!" The shiny Pokémon was jumping up and down in the water, clearly trying to tell Ash something.

"What is it Magikarp?" Ash asked, trying to figure out what the fish Pokémon want.

"Karp, Karp!"

Ash felt something tugging his pants and looked to his right where Pichu was standing.

"Pi, Pichu" The electric mouse said and tapped one of its small paws on a empty Poké Ball strapped to Ash's belt. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the Magikarp wanted and Ash's face lit up with a smile.

"You want to come with me?"

"Karp! Karp! Magikarp!" The Magikarp nodded its head and swam closer to ash and Pichu.

"Alright, if you are sure that is what you want, I would love to have you on our team." Ash said as he withdrew a Poké Ball from his belt.

"Pi!" Pichu said and nodded in agreement.

Ash held the Poké Ball in front of the fish Pokémon and Magikarp lightly tapped the ball with its head before it was sucked inside the red Poké Ball.

"Welcome to the team Magikarp" Ash said to the ball, which was now containing the new addition to his team.

"Come on Pichu we should get back to Viridian City, it's nearly dawn."

Ash slowly rose from the sand and was instantly reminded of the beating he took from his near death experience.

'_Note to self... never jump out from a cliff, it won't end well.'_

His whole body was shaking and he was freezing from still wearing the wet clothes. He let out a loud sneeze and wished that he had taken his backpack with him so that he could change to some dry clothes, but it was still in his room back at the Pokémon Center.

Ash decided to direct his mind to more happy thoughts and pulled out his Pokédex to check the stats on his new Pokémon.

**Magikarp**

**'The Fish Pokémon'**

**Water Type Pokémon**

**Famous for being very unreliable. It can be found swimming in seas, lakes, rivers and shallow puddles. It is virtually worthless in terms of power and speed, since it's a Pokémon that is only capable of flopping and splashing. Magikarp is therefore considered the most weak and pathetic Pokémon in the world. However, it is actually a very hardy Pokémon that can survive in any body of water no matter how polluted it is. In a distant past, it was somewhat stronger than the horrible weak descendants that exist today. **

**This Magikarp's height is 2'11 (0,89m) and weights 22Ibs (10,0kg).**

**Ability: Swift Swim.**

**Attacks: Splash &amp; Tackle.**

_'A nice addition to the team. Shiny Pokémon are very rare and hard to find. Off cause in this stage Magikarp isn't the strongest of Pokémon, but with the right kind of training I'm sure it will become strong'_ Ash thought as he and Pichu traveled through the forest.

Ash still couldn't believe that he managed to outsmart Team Rocket and get back the Pokémon that they had stolen, but somehow he had beaten the odds and ended up on top, and emerged victorious in the end. So even dough his body was in tremendous pain right now, and he almost lost his life today, it made it all worth it because nothing was more important than keeping Pokémon safe from the likes of Team Rocket.


	5. Chapter 5: A Day In The Life Of A Pokémo

**Okay, I have gotten a lot of reviews on this story and first of all I want to thank those who took the time to write a review. I really appreciate your comments and I have read every single one of them. There is a lot of good suggestions for Pokémon that you want to see in this story and ideas concerning the plot. There is also some questions about the story, so I thought that I would take some time off to answer some of those.**

**\- SabreSpark -**

**Q:** Are you going by the game rules where only 4 attacks are allowed?

**A:** No, the Pokémon in my story will be able to use all the attacks that they learn at any given time.

**\- Jinseiwakurai-Shouganai ****-**

**Q:** Will there be romance between Ash and Annie?

**A:**Maybe, you will just have to read to find out.

**\- ****Joseph Hendrie -**

**Q:** What about his training is it going to be easy to his Pokémon or will have a very hard training setup planed?

**A:** The training is going to be tough. Ash want to be the best and that will not happen without hard training and a lot of dedication.

**Q:** Does Ash's mother find out about the battles between Ash and Team Rocket? Or will Ash just keep it from her for her to be safe?

**A:** No, Delia will not have much knowledge about what happens on Ash's journey. Already at this point, Ash have been close to losing his life on two accounts and he will be in considerable danger in the future.

**Q:** What about Ash's father?

**A:** Ash's father disappeared many years ago and it is unknown whether he is still alive. Maybe he and Ash will meet at some point, but right now, it is just too early to tell.

**\- TheGrunt22 -**

**Q: **Which gen mechanics are we gunna be using here?

**A: **Well, the Pokémon can use all the moves that it learns, no matter how many. Battles against other trainers and Gym Leaders will not be turn-based. A trainer will be able to command his Pokémon to use three attacks in a row if he choose too.

**\- Aegis Dragon -**

**Q: **If Mewtwo wins the poll, could you find a way to fit Mew in?

**A: **Yes, I am planning on Ash getting both Mew &amp; Mewtwo. They are a pair like Latias &amp; Latios, but Ash will not get them at the same time. Mewtwo will join first and Mew some time later on.

**\- powermachine79 -**

**Q: **Are you are going to go about Mewtwo in a similar way as in the story I read by Sabor364 Chronicles of the Chosen One: Pokémon Master?

**A: **I really like Sabor364's story and the way Ash and Mewtwo interact in it. But no, it is not going to be similar to the way that they meet in canon. Ash &amp; Mewtwo are going to meet under different circumstances than in canon

**Q: **When will Mewtwo join Ash's team?

**A: **Properly around the time when Ash got 3-5 Gym don't worry, Ash having a Legendary won't make him overpowered. Sure, he will have an advantage, but it won't make him invincible. Mewtwo will also only be used for battle under dire circumstances; I don't plan on making Mewtwo outshine the rest of Ash's team.

**\- Patriot-112 -**

**Q: **Is Ash going to Rota, AKA, Cameran Palace? And will Lucario die like he did in the movie?

**A: **No. Ask won't go to Cameran Palace. In this story Ash will only be in the Kanto region. But maybe in a sequel.

**\- R. D. T -**

**Q: **Can u let him capture the big (BIG) Dragonite?

**A: **No. Ash won't capture the big Dragonite . Even though I like the idea of a lonely oversized Dragonite who wanders the sea looking for friends in the anime, but I don't think it will be practical in this story for Ash to capture it.

**\- Myra the Dovahkiin -**

**Q: **Is Pichu Ash's Pikachu from canon or is it a different Pichu?

**A: **Yep, Pichu is Ash's Pikachu from canon.

**Q:** Will you be doing this story all the way to Kalos and if not, what will you be doing it to?

**A: **Right now I only have focus on what will happen in the Kanto region. As you have properly noticed, this story is slow-paced and there is still a long time until Ash reaches the end of his Pokémon journey in Kanto.

**\- Mark -**

**Q: **You have said there might be romance. Maybe like Elsa, or Korrina, Sabrina, Cynthia? Another question is will you age Ash in a generalization of how long it took in each season? Like Hoenn took about a year and a half?

**A: **At the moment I am concidering ehter Annie, Sabrina or Cynthia as a possible love interest for Ash. But nothing has been decided yet. Ash's journey through the Kanto region will take a year.

**\- Quistions from Guests -**

**Q:** Are you going to give Ash a CharizardX in the future?

**A:** To be honest, I have not really thought that far ahead. I think mega evolutions look cool but I know next to nothing about them. Maybe they will make an appearance at some point.

**Q: **are you going to introduce Serena later since she knew him from Pokémon Summer Camp?

**A: **At this point I haven't given it any thought, but who knows. Maybe Serena will make an appearance in a later chapter

**If you have more questions regarding the story, feel free to message me and I will answer to the best of my ability.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: A Day in the Life of a Pokémon Trainer**

Ash was walking through the Viridian Forest with Pichu on his shoulder. He couldn't help a little smile from spreading on his face as he enjoyed the warm weather and the calm breeze of wind that traveled through the forest. It just seemed like one of those days where nothing could go wrong. The sun stood high on the sky and all different kinds of Pokémon could be seen around the forest.

Ash spotted three Rattata's running from bush to bush in the hopes of finding some food laying around. But as the group of rodents crossed over to the other side of the path, one of them came to a stop before Ash and gave him a curious look.

"Rat-rattata" said the small rodent, wagging its tail.

"Pi-pichu!" Pichu exclaimed warningly from on top Ash's shoulder, its cheeks sparkling with electricity.

"Easy Pichu, this little guy is just hungry" Ash said and patted the yellow rodent on the head. Pichu calmed down a little and jumped down from Ash's shoulder and landed on the ground. The tiny electric Pokémon decided to keep a watchful eye, should the Rattata make a wrong move.

Ash reached into one of the small pockets in his backpack and pulled out some Pokémon food and slowly started to approach the tiny mouse Pokémon. He kneeled down a few feet away from the Rattata and streched his arm towards it, offering it the food.

The Rattata got an interested look in its eyes and walked slowly towards the Pokémon food with small cautious steps, never taking its eyes off Ash in the process.

Ash held his breathe as the Rattata came within range of his hand, making sure to stay still so that he wouldn't scare off the small mouse. The Rattata took a couple of sniffs, inspecting the strange food presented before it. But only after a few seconds of hesitation the small rodent made its decision and quickly snapped the food from Ash's hand and ran into a nearby bush and completely disappeared from sight.

Ash just looked at the spot where the rodent was mere seconds ago and let of a sign. "You're welcome, I guess..."

Pichu ran up from behind Ash and rested its front paws on his right knee, leaning up towards the pocket where it had seen Ash take the Pokémon food from earlier.

"Pi" Pichu said cutely with its head tilted slightly to the right and an expectant look upon its face.

Ash let out a laugh, knowing exactly what Pichu wanted. "Alright, you can have one too" he said and gave it a treat from his backpack. Pichu ate it greedily, savoring the flavor with a content smile on its face.

After Pichu had chewed down the last food Ash laid a hand onto its head and scratched the rodent behind its ears. "Better?"

"Pichu" the tiny electric Pokémon responded happily.

Ash smiled and place his friend back on top his shoulder. "Let's move on"

Ash started walking, continuing on his way through the forest. He hoped that it wouldn't take too long to find a good place to setup camp. Even though it was fairly early in the day and the weather was perfect for travelling, Ash wanted to catch up on some much needed training. Ash haven't been training as much as he wanted, of cause there have been some interruptions, like Team Rocket deciding to blow up a Pokémon center and stealing all the Pokémon, and all. But now, he finally had the time to do something about it.

"Nice weather today, don't you think Pichu?" Ash asked his little friend, enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest.

"Pi" Pichu exclaimed happily with a nod of agreement.

'A near death situation really makes one appreciate the small things in life' Ash thought.

It was only two days ago since Ash's first encounter with the criminal organization known as Team Rocket. The battle had been very one-sided and the Team Rocket grunt that had been fighting against clearly had the upper hand.

_'I need to train more. I didn't stand a chance against that Raticate, it was simply too strong and too fast. Charmander only managed to get one hit in and that didn't even do any considerable damage.' _Ash thought as he walked the path of the forest, while looking for a good place to set up camp.

Ash had been walking since morning and he was starting to feel a little tired. His body was still a sore after jumping out from that cliff.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_Pain!_

_Ash felt nothing but pain as he limped through the forest. His muscles was aching and screaming in protest of the slow steps he was taking. He was soaked to the bone, clothes wet and in tatters. The bag filled with stolen Poké Balls felt heavy around his left hand and Ash had to strain himself not to drop it. In the other hand his was holding on to the sleeping form of Pichu who had buried its head in Ash's jacket. With slow but determined footsteps, Ash drew nearer to Viridian City. _

_After half an hour of endless walking Ash was just about ready to collapse. His body was hurting all over and he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. He was walking on auto-pilot almost like a zombie. Ash lost his footing and fell to the ground with his head face first. He let out a groan of pain as he laid there with his head in the ground. He tried to stand up but his muscles wouldn't respond to his command. He instead rolled over onto his side and leaned on his right elbow._

_'I'm too tired... I'll never reach the city like this' Ash thought dejectedly as he leaned his head up against a tree. He laid there a couple of minutes just trying to gain control over his rapid breathing. He was sweating from the walking and just needed to relax a little bit. Ash knew that now wasn't the best time to fall asleep, but it was getting harder and harder to stay awake. He spared a glance around him and noticed Pichu standing a few feet away, listening intensely for something._

_"P-Pichu, w-what a-are you doing?" Ash stuttered due to the cold he was now feeling._

_Pichu didn't seem to have heard Ash or didn't make any indication to have so. It just continued to stare into nothingness. Ash wisely kept quiet, it was too exhausting to speak anyway. Suddenly a shout could be heard from somewhere in the forest. _

_'It sounds female' Ash thought and let out a yarn. He saw Pichu instantly going into action and starting to yell its own name, trying to get their attention._

_Ash heard the yelling coming closer, but could not make out a word being said. He was too tired to care, all he wanted to do was sleep. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the worried look of Officer Jenny._

* * *

He was glad that Officer Jenny and some the townspeople had formed a search party and gone looking for him. Ash didn't want to think what could have happened if he had to spend the night in the forest, especially in his condition. Officer Jenney took him back to Viridian City where he got patched up at the local pharmacy. The Pokémon Center had been closed and was off limits for anyone but the staff and the police.

Ash came to a stop when he noticed that a small narrow path was leading away from the main route.

'hmm... which way to go? I have been looking for a place to set up camp for the last 30 minutes and nothing have come up so far.' Ash thought as he studied the small path that was leading deeper into the forest.

"What do you think Pichu?" Ash asked the tiny electric Pokémon.

"Pi?" Pichu said as it tilted its head slightly to the left and gave Ash a confused stare.

"Should we try this way instead?"

"Pi Pichu" The tiny mouse Pokémon jumped down from Ash's shoulder and started running down the small path.

"I guess that means yes" Ash said to himself before jogging after his wayward Pokémon.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_Ash was sitting on a one of the few benches that was still intact inside the lobby of the Pokémon Center. The place was a mess and members of the staff could be seen all over the place, some trying to fix the damaged equipment such as computers, phones and other medical devices. Some people were carrying furniture that was pretty much burnt to a crisp out of the building._

_He had a blanket wrapped around him and a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. After Ash had been found by Officer Jenny, she along with some of the townsmen who had helped searching for Ash, went back to Viridian City. After giving Officer Jenny a statement about what happened in the forest she had called a few of her coworkers over and explained the situation before venturing out into the forest in search of the two Team Rocket members._

_Ash took a small zip of the hot chocolate and looked to his right where Pichu was resting quietly beside him. He reached out his hand and scratched the baby Pokémon behind the ear. _

_"Chuu" The small electric Pokémon said softly in enjoyment before returning back to sleep._

_Ash continued to look at Pichu and couldn't help think about how close both he and the yellow mouse Pokémon had been too perishing in the lake._

_'I can't keep risking the life of my Pokémon like this. This is the second time Pichu nearly lost his life in my care and he isn't even my Pokémon. How can I call myself a Pokémon Trainer if I can't even keep my Pokémon safe from harm..' Ash thought with a dejected look on his face._

_'I have to do better than this, I just have too'_

* * *

When Ash caught up with Pichu he found the small Pokémon standing at the entrance to a small clearing. It was an even and grassy field where a small lake could be seen at the corner. A few trees where standing here and there but not nearly as close as the tress outside the clearing.

_'This place is perfect' _Ash thought as he walked over to a tree that was standing by the lake and took his backpack off and placed it against it.

"Alright. Let's get this show on the road" Ash said to himself as he gapped two Poké Balls from his belt and released the Pokémon contained inside. Charmander and Pidgey both appeared with a white flash before Ash.

"Hey guys. Ready for some training" Ash asked with an enthusiastic smile.

Charmander and Pidgey nodded and let out a cry of their name. Both excited at the prospect of improving their strength and abilities.

"Good, then let's get started. Charmander, I want you to go over to that rock and repeat firing Embers at it" Ash said, pointing towards a medium sized rock a couple of meters away and continued his instructions. "Work on your aim by hitting the same spot again and again, and also try to increase the power of your fire attacks gradually"

"Charr" The small lizard Pokémon ran up to Ash and hugged his legs. Ash let out a surprised chuckle at his starter's antics and stroked the fire type on its back with his hand.

"Okay now, get going. I will check up on you in a little while buddy" Ash said and gave Charmander a light push. Charmander let go off Ash and started running towards the rock. Ash watched his starter Pokémon fondly for a moment before turning to Pidgey.

"Pidgey, you will be learning a new attack today. But first we must work on strengthen your wings. I need you to take to the skies and start working on your speed, just fly around and try to increase your momentum step by step. What we are doing is building up your speed so that you can learn Quick Attack. Just keep flying, and I'll be over later to teach you a new move. Okay?"

"Pid" The small avian gave a quick nod and flapped its wing and started flying around the clearing.

Ash turned around and walked back up to his personal belongings by the tree. Pichu was laying up against his backpack fast asleep, properly exhausted from travelling all morning. Ash decided to let him sleep, Pichu was after all not his Pokémon and he couldn't force it to do anything. Not that Ash would ever force a Pokémon to do anything against its will. Pichu was a wild Pokémon and it didn't have to answer to anybody. Even though it had spent the last few months with Ash in Pallet Town, Pichu was still a wild Pokémon that Ash was just helping getting back home to its mother. A mother that supposedly resided somewhere in this very forest. It made Ash a little sad knowing that he would soon have to part ways with Pichu. They had grown so close in the time they had spent together and Ash would miss his little yellow friend terribly once he was gone.

Ash turned from his depressing line of thought to a more cheery one. He still had one last Pokémon to release. He walked over to the small lake and while slowly withdrew a Poké Ball from his belt. He tossed the Poké Ball over the lake, releasing his newest Pokémon into the water. He caught the returning Poké Ball in the air and placed it back in his belt where it belonged.

A beautiful Magikarp surfaced the water, its golden scales glistening in the sun light. Ash is normally not the type to pick favorites, he loved all Pokémon equally. But this golden fish Pokémon, was truly a sight to behold. This golden fish Pokémon that saved his life, only a few days ago.

Ash kneeled down by the edge of the water and stroked Magikarp's scales with his hand.

Ash had heard about shiny Pokémon before, back when he went to school. They were supposed to be incredibly rare and almost impossible to find. The fact alone that one turned up in his time of need was nothing short of a miracle.

"Hey Magikarp. Good to see you"

"Karp, karp" The small said while slashing its fins in the water, making water fly everywhere.

Ash let out a little whelp of surprise as his clothes got splashed with water. For a few seconds he just looked at Migikarp in stunned surprise.

"oh, so that's how you wanna play it huh" Ash said challenging and slowly lowered his right hand into the water, before pushing a wave of water at Magikarp. The small fish Pokémon had no time to dodge and was hit by the wave, not that it did anything. Magikarp quickly spun around and used the momentum to shoot a stream of water towards Ash with its tail fin.

Ash didn't see that coming and was hit directly in the face. He wiped his face with his sleeve and gave Magikarp a defying look.

"Alright. This means war"

Ash used both his hand to splash a great amount of water at the shiny Pokémon, but Magikarp saw it coming and quickly dived into the water and away from the incoming wave. It emerged seconds later at the surface with great speed, using a Tackle attack to throw water at its trainer.

After a few minutes in to the water fight, Ash realized that he was fighting a losing battle. His clothes was drenched in water. The golden fish Pokémon was simply too good at this for Ash to compete against it.

_'That's what you get for challenging a water Pokémon to a water fight.'_

Ash continued to try and hit Magikarp, but it would just skillfully dodge the incoming water by either diving down into the water or dodge by swimming to one of the sides.

After one more direct hit to the face Ash gave up and threw in the towel.

"Okay, okay. I give up. You won" He said with both hands raised. Magikarp understood the message and came to a stop in the water. Ash couldn't help breaking out in a laugh at how much fun that was. He laid a hand on Magikarp and stroked it across the golden scales of the fish Pokémon.

"That was fun. But now I have to go get some dry clothes on, these are completely soaked" Ash said with a mock frown.

"Karp, karp" Migikarp respond while happily splashing its fins in the water.

* * *

Ash was sitting down by the tree next to the sleeping Pichu. He let out a deep breath, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun which stood high on the sky. He was happy that after walking all morning he could finally just sit down and relax for a bit. He reached over in his backpack and withdrew his Pokédex from one of the side pockets.

He opened the little red device and started to navigate through the options that was displayed on the screen. The Pokédex contained a huge database of information on each Pokémon that had been discovered in the Kanto. Some had a more detailed description than others of course. Pokémon of a common rarity such as Caterpie, Pidgey, Nidoran etc. had lots of things written about them. But Pokémon like the three legendary birds Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno didn't have more than a few lines in the description. They were of cause also three of the most rare Pokémon in the world.

But one thing the Pokédex contained which Ash really had come to appriciate, was the Move Guide. It was a list of all know attacks and had a step by step guide on how to teach the moves to your Pokémon. Last time Ash had used it was back in the forest of Route 1, when he taught his Charmander how to use Smokescreen and his Pidgey how to use Gust.

After almost half an hour of reading, Ash felt confident that he would be able to teach Pidgey how to us Quick Attack. He abandoned his spot by the tree and stood up and stretched. He let his eyes roam the clearing where two of his Pokémon were busy at work.

Ash noticed Charmander standing a few meters away from a huge rock, firing one Ember after another. The frequency of the fire attacks had left the stone in a burnt almost black color, with small traces of smoke emerging on different places because of the intense heat it was exposed to.

Ash turned his eyes from Charmander for a moment and focused on the small avian Pokémon who was flying around the clearing. After a few minutes of carefully studying its flying, Ash noticed that Pidgey at some point almost disappeared from view due to the incredible speed.

_'Now we are getting somewhere'_ Ash thought with a smile upon his face._ 'Pidgey is really making progress. It shouldn't be long until she is ready to learn Quick Attack. But I will let her train for a bit more while I check up on Charmander'_

* * *

Night time was slowly approaching and it was only a matter of minutes before the sunset would be replaced by darkness. Ash wanted to get a fire going before that happened. So after finishing up training, Ash and his Pokémon gone searching for wood. Ash threw the pile of branches he had gathered in a neat pile a couple of feet away from his tent

_'That should be enough to keep us warm during the night. Now we just have to start a fire' _Ash looked over at Charmander who was standing by the tent. _'Somehow I don't think that is going to be a problem' _

"Charmander?" Ash called out.

Charmander turned his attention towards his trainer, ready for instructions.

"Could you light a fire?"

"Charr!" The small lizard Pokémon replied and walked over to the pile of wood on the ground. A quick Ember later and the camp was lit with the burning glow of a small bonfire.

"Thanks Charmander" Ash said and stroked his starter on the back, careful not get his hand to close to the flaming tail.

Ash got in his sleeping back and laid down on his stomach facing towards the fire. His Pokémon made themselves comfortable around the fire. Ash had decided they could all sleep out of their Poké Balls tonight. You could call it a reward for training so hard. He was very satisfied with the effort his Pokémon had put into training. Pidgey had successfully learned Quick Attack. It taken a few hours to get it right but with hard work, the avian had mastered the new move in the end. Charmander had greatly improved the power and precision of its Ember attack, but that was not all. After that Ash had Charmander do some running to increase its speed and endurance. So all in all, Ash was pretty happy with his Pokémon performance today.

Ash continued looking into the fire, just observing the flames dancing. An alarming thought suddenly sprung up in his mind. He still hadn't called his mother. He was supposed to have called her when he was in Viridian City, but never managed to do so because of the attack.

_'She must be worried out of her mind' _Ash thought in dismay. He was sure that his mother had heard about the incident at the Pokémon Center in the television_. _Ash had seen a white van enter Viridian City with the Kanto News logo on the side. He had instantly recognized the logo from being a dedicated television fan and hastily made his exit from the Pokémon Center and Viridian City. Ash had no interest what so ever in getting on the news. He would properly just make a fool out of himself if he got on TV. Thinking about electronics got Ash thinking about the conversation he had with Officer Jenny when he entered Viridian City. Officer Jenny had recommended that he should get an item called Pokégear which worked as a telephone, making it able for one to make calls to other people no matter where you are. Ash would have wished he had gotten one in Viridian City, then he could have called his mother long ago. But unfortunately, he just didn't have the time. Ash made a mental note to buy Pokégear as soon as he got to Pewter City.

Ash let out a yarn, rolled onto his back and before he knew it he was fast asleep.

* * *

Ash opened his sleepy eyes and and walked in a trance like state through the dark over to some bushes away from the camp. He took a quick leak and returned back to the camp. There was still a few cinders remaining of the bonfire which illuminated the area around it with a weak glow, but when Ash got back he noticed that something was wrong. He could see Charmander and Pidgey in faint light, but he couldn't see Pichu anywhere.

_'That can't be right. He should be around here somewhere' _Ash rubbed the sleep from his eyes and checked again to be certain, but sure enough Pichu was nowhere to be found.

Ash started to look around the campsite. He hoped that the tiny electric type had just decided to sleep somewhere else within the camp, but it was very difficult to see anything because of the dark. Ash was starting to get worried and began to fear the worst.

_'I will never find him like this' _Ash thought _'I need some light'_

"Charmander, Pidgey. Wake up!" Ash said loudly. The two Pokémon stirred lightly and started slowly to opened their eyes. "Hurry up. Pichu is missing and we have got to find him"

That seemed to get their attention and in a matter of seconds they were both standing before Ash, ready to help him find their missing companion.

"I can't find Pichu anywhere. He seems to have left during the night while we were all sleeping. I don't know why, but that is not important. Right now the only thing that matters is finding Pichu and make sure he is safe." Ash said with determination.

"Pidgey, I'm going to put you back in the Poké Ball. I may need your assistance later"

"Pid" The little bird Pokémon said with a nod before it was returned back in its Poke Ball.

Ash turned his eyes to the only remaining Pokémon. "Charmander I need you to give me some light while I'm packing the tent. Okay?"

"Char, Charmander" The small fire type responded and increased the intensity of the flame on his tail. The flame started to burn brightly, covering the campsite in a burning light.

"That's good. Just keep it like that" Ash said as he started to separate the pieces holding the tent together.

In only a matter of minutes Ash had the tent packed into his backpack and he was now ready to go looking for his lost friend. He put on his backpack and gave Charmander a pointed stare.

"Ready?"

"Charr"

"Then let's go find our yellow friend"

* * *

**I know I said that this chapter would cover the Pichu event as I call it, but there were a lot things I needed to address first so I decided to save it for the next chapter instead.**

**Thanks for reading and feel free to drop a review.**


	6. AN: Hiatus!

As you properly know, I haven't updated this story for a very long time and unfortunately I don't see it happening in the near future. The reason for this is that I just don't have the time for writing that I once used to have and therefore I have decided to put the story on an indefinitely hiatus.

I might someday return to writing, but to be honest, there is only a slim possibility of that happening. If anyone is interested in using my story in any way or form for their own work, feel free to send me a message. Thanks again to everyone who read my story and a special thanks to those who took the time to review and encourage me to improve my writing. I didn't get as far as I had planned but I'm still grateful for all the support you've shown throughout this short journey.

Sincerely Karsten.


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